Isla Vista vs Goleta

Which is the better fit for you?

Isla Vista, CA

—

Area Score

Missing required signal: growth.

Goleta, CA

Area Score

Top 50% nationally

Signals

Isla Vista

Goleta

Opportunity

46 · Bottom 28%

75 · Top 15%

Climate

89 · Top 8%

Physical resilience

20 · Bottom 13%

Housing affordability

0 · Bottom 1%

43 · Bottom 6%

Access

74 · Bottom 16%

75 · Bottom 17%

Economic stability

29 · Bottom 6%

70 · Top 29%

Measured values

Metric	Isla Vista	Goleta	Source period
Population	13,920	32,685	2024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income	$25,972	$122,370	2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income	$14,110	$56,285	2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density	25,263/sq mi	4,163/sq mi	2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value	$1,218,800	$1,062,100	2024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent	$1,878	$2,437	2024 ACS 5-Year
Homeownership rate	1.2%	50.7%	2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate	4.2%	3.1%	June 2026
Employment change (year over year)	-0.7%	-0.7%	June 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher	43.7%	49.4%	2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate	70.4%	9.3%	2024 ACS 5-Year
Average July high	71°F	73°F	1991-2020 Normals
Average January low	43°F	41°F	1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation	19.0"	17.3"	1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport	48 mi	47 mi	NASR current cycle
Average commute	17.5 min	19.7 min	2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age	21.2	36.9	2024 ACS 5-Year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

Physical risk tradeoff

Isla Vista

Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.

Goleta

Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Isla Vista

Your Score

—

Area Score

Goleta

Your Score

Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Isla Vista, CA · Goleta, CA · How this is calculated: methodology