The Town FilesMontecito, California
Community in Santa Barbara County · population 8,638 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $2,000,001
- Household income
- $231,005
- Jan low / Jul high
- 47° / 76°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 50.0
Montecito is a community of 8,638 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for retirees than 98% of California towns, better for young professionals than 96% of California towns, more upscale than 95% of California towns.
- #2 in The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in California
- #15 in The 25 Best Small Towns for Young Professionals in California
- #18 in The 25 Richest Small Towns in California
- #20 in 25 Small Towns in California With the Mildest Winters
- #23 in The 25 Hippest Small Towns in California
- #37 in The 50 Best Small Towns to Retire in America
How Montecito 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 Montecito is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.7 times the median household income of $231,005, which is more affordable than 19% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 75.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Montecito | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,501 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $231,005 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 75.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1969 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 9.3% | — |
Who lives in Montecito
| People | Montecito | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 33.5% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 14.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 76.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.2% | — |
| Work from home | 33.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 18.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in Montecito
July highs average 76.4°F and January lows 46.5°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 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Montecito since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on March 21, 2023 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 21, 2023.
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 Montecito itself the ACS puts it at 4%.
Towns near Montecito
- Santa Barbara, CA4.7 mi · 88,665 people · home $1,570,800
- Mission Canyon, CA5.4 mi · 2,540 people · home $2,000,001
- Carpinteria, CA7.9 mi · 13,264 people · home $1,043,100
- Eastern Goleta Valley, CA8.9 mi · 28,656 people · home $1,361,700
- University of California-Santa Barbara, CA12.2 mi · 9,710 people · home $452,900
- Goleta, CA12.9 mi · 32,690 people · home $1,062,100
- Isla Vista, CA13.0 mi · 15,500 people · home $1,218,800
- Oak View, CA19.1 mi · 6,215 people · home $819,100
Montecito questions
Is Montecito, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Montecito scores better for retirees than 98% of California towns and quieter than 66%. 33.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.0).
How much does a house cost in Montecito?
The median owner-occupied home in Montecito is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $231,005, so homes cost about 8.7 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.
What is the weather like in Montecito?
July highs average 76.4°F and January lows 46.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Montecito get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Montecito since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on March 21, 2023. 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)