Signals
Santa Barbara
University of California-Santa Barbara
Opportunity
72 · Top 18%
vs58 · Top 46%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
20 · Bottom 13%
vs20 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
34 · Bottom 2%
vs50 · Bottom 10%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs74 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 37%
vs31 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Santa Barbara | University of California-Santa Barbara | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 87,779 | 12,121 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $106,182 | $69,327 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $65,452 | $17,245 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,504/sq mi | 9,324/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,570,800 | $452,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,413 | $1,526 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 39.9% | 14.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.9% | 80.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% | 17.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 73°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 17.3" | 17.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 54 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.6 min | 15.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.7 | 20.0 | 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
Santa Barbara
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.
University of California-Santa Barbara
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.
Your best match
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Santa Barbara
54
Your Score
52
Area Score
University of California-Santa Barbara
54
Your Score
—
Area Score
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Full profiles: Santa Barbara, CA · University of California-Santa Barbara, CA · How this is calculated: methodology