Santa Maria and Santa Barbara receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Measured values
| Metric | Santa Maria | Santa Barbara | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 110,462 | 87,779 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $84,746 | $106,182 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,440 | $65,452 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,843/sq mi | 4,504/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $531,700 | $1,570,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,925 | $2,413 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.2% | 39.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.7% | 51.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.3% | 14.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 387 | 62 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -21.7% | 87.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.3" | 17.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 54 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 18.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.3 | 39.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.79 | 18.04 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 87.2% | 66.3% | 2024-25 school 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 Maria
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.
Santa Barbara
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.
Your best match
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Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Santa Maria, CA · Santa Barbara, CA · How this is calculated: methodology