The Town FilesIsla Vista, California
Community in Santa Barbara County · population 15,500 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,218,800
- Household income
- $25,972
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 71°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 21.2
Isla Vista is a community of 15,500 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $1,218,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for cycling than 100% of California towns, hipper than 99% of California towns, more of a college town than 99% of California towns.
How Isla Vista 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 Isla Vista is worth $1,218,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 46.9 times the median household income of $25,972, which is more affordable than 0% of California towns. Median rent is $1,878 a month. 1.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Isla Vista | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,218,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,878 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $25,972 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 46.9× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 1.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Isla Vista
| People | Isla Vista | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 2.3% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 1.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 70.4% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 0.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.2% | — |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 15.6 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Isla Vista
July highs average 71.0°F and January lows 42.8°F. About 19.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Isla Vista since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on January 19, 2010 about 1.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 19, 2010.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on January 20, 1982.
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 Isla Vista itself the ACS puts it at 17.4%.
Towns near Isla Vista
- University of California-Santa Barbara, CA0.9 mi · 9,710 people · home $452,900
- Goleta, CA1.6 mi · 32,690 people · home $1,062,100
- Eastern Goleta Valley, CA4.8 mi · 28,656 people · home $1,361,700
- Santa Barbara, CA8.4 mi · 88,665 people · home $1,570,800
- Mission Canyon, CA8.7 mi · 2,540 people · home $2,000,001
- Montecito, CA13.0 mi · 8,638 people · home $2,000,001
- Santa Ynez, CA19.5 mi · 4,505 people · home $1,163,000
- Solvang, CA20.2 mi · 6,126 people · home $949,600
Isla Vista questions
Is Isla Vista, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Isla Vista scores better for retirees than 1% of California towns and quieter than 2%. 2.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 21.2).
How much does a house cost in Isla Vista?
The median owner-occupied home in Isla Vista is valued at $1,218,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $25,972, so homes cost about 46.9 times income. Median rent is $1,878 a month.
What is the weather like in Isla Vista?
July highs average 71.0°F and January lows 42.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Isla Vista get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Isla Vista since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on January 19, 2010. 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)