The Town FilesBuellton, California
City in Santa Barbara County · population 5,161 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $837,400
- Household income
- $99,936
- Jan low / Jul high
- 34° / 92°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 39.0
Buellton is a city of 5,161 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $837,400, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 99% of California towns.
How Buellton ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Buellton is worth $837,400, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.4 times the median household income of $99,936, which is more affordable than 21% of California towns. Median rent is $2,194 a month. 58.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Buellton | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $837,400 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,194 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $99,936 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 58.7% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1994 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 5.2% | — |
Who lives in Buellton
| People | Buellton | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.4% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 17.5% | — |
| Work from home | 15.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 97.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Buellton
July highs average 92.1°F and January lows 34.2°F. About 21.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 86 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 19 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Buellton since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on December 29, 1991 about 6.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 29, 1991.
Severe weather in Santa Barbara County since 1996
Santa Barbara County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County had 216,323 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,664 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Buellton itself the ACS puts it at 2.2%.
Public schools in Buellton
3 public schools with 574 students, about 19.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Valley Elementary | K-5 | 371 | 19.5 |
| Jonata Middle | 6-8 | 174 | 21.8 |
| Olive Grove Charter - Buellton (charter) | K-12 | 29 | 14.5 |
Towns near Buellton
- Solvang, CA3.4 mi · 6,126 people · home $949,600
- Santa Ynez, CA5.6 mi · 4,505 people · home $1,163,000
- Mission Hills, CA14.8 mi · 3,571 people · home $492,900
- Lompoc, CA16.1 mi · 44,444 people · home $472,900
- Vandenberg Village, CA16.6 mi · 7,308 people · home $637,100
- Vandenberg AFB, CA19.4 mi · 3,559 people · home —
- Orcutt, CA21.8 mi · 32,034 people · home $624,500
- Goleta, CA22.8 mi · 32,690 people · home $1,062,100
Buellton questions
Is Buellton, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Buellton scores better for retirees than 54% of California towns and quieter than 51%. 14.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.0).
How much does a house cost in Buellton?
The median owner-occupied home in Buellton is valued at $837,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $99,936, so homes cost about 8.4 times income. Median rent is $2,194 a month.
What is the weather like in Buellton?
July highs average 92.1°F and January lows 34.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 21.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Buellton get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Buellton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on December 29, 1991. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)