Santa Barbara, California
Among the top 2% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 5% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 98% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 24% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 89% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 75% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 6% for annual snowfall
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Santa Barbara is a mid-size city in California with about 89,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, annual snowfall, and commute time. It rates lower on estimated total tax burden and cost of living.
Official websitesantabarbaraca.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
cool
83%69%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.0 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$98k84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$87kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$1.3M99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 4% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$4kbetter than 2% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.53%better than 86% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden23.44%better than 1% of US places
Unemployment4.4%better than 45% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)53°F93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)65°F4th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation19.0 in12th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days276 daysbetter than 88% of US places
Summer Humidity58°Fbetter than 78% of US places
Comfortable Days254 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk92.6better than 6% of US places
Air Quality37 AQIbetter than 82% of US places
School Quality73.9better than 70% of US places
Violent Crime1502/100kbetter than 17% of US places
Property Crime2052/100kbetter than 18% of US places
Community
Population88,64099th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.643rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5084th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9850th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+338th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)55.1%20th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.2%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)36.1%92nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)3.6%87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.0%62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time18 minbetter than 94% of US places
Walkability9.3/20better than 83% of US places
Airport Distance84 mibetter than 46% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access92.8%better than 75% of US places
Amenities Nearby51.78better than 40% of US places
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 75% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Barbara an affordable place to live?
- Santa Barbara is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $87k, better than 1% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Santa Barbara?
- The median home value in Santa Barbara is $1.3M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Santa Barbara?
- Median household income in Santa Barbara is $98k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Santa Barbara?
- Median gross rent in Santa Barbara is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Santa Barbara safe?
- Santa Barbara is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1502/100k (better than 17%). Property crime is 2052/100k.
- What is the weather like in Santa Barbara?
- Santa Barbara averages 65°F in July and 53°F in January, with 19.0 in of annual precipitation and about 276 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Santa Barbara?
- Public-school quality in Santa Barbara is above average, scoring better than 70% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Santa Barbara?
- The average one-way commute in Santa Barbara is 18 min.
Other places in Santa Barbara County
Places near Santa Barbara
Compare Santa Barbara
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)