The Town FilesSolvang, California
City in Santa Barbara County · population 6,126 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $949,600
- Household income
- $109,091
- Jan low / Jul high
- 34° / 92°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 54.2
Solvang is a city of 6,126 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $949,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for retirees than 95% of California towns, better for cycling than 92% of California towns, better for young professionals than 87% of California towns.
How Solvang 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 Solvang is worth $949,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.7 times the median household income of $109,091, which is more affordable than 19% of California towns. Median rent is $1,666 a month. 57.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Solvang | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $949,600 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,666 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $109,091 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 57.0% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1982 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Solvang
| People | Solvang | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 33.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 13.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.2% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 7.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 21.1% | — |
| Work from home | 15.8% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.5% | 93.3% |
Weather in Solvang
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 Solvang since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on December 29, 1991 about 9.5 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 Solvang itself the ACS puts it at 1.8%.
Public schools in Solvang
4 public schools with 1,589 students, about 19.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ynez Valley Union High | 9-12 | 850 | 19.8 |
| Solvang Elementary | K-8 | 621 | 19.4 |
| Ballard Elementary | K-6 | 107 | 15.3 |
| Refugio High | 9-12 | 11 | 11.0 |
Towns near Solvang
- Santa Ynez, CA3.0 mi · 4,505 people · home $1,163,000
- Buellton, CA3.4 mi · 5,161 people · home $837,400
- Mission Hills, CA18.3 mi · 3,571 people · home $492,900
- Goleta, CA19.4 mi · 32,690 people · home $1,062,100
- Lompoc, CA19.4 mi · 44,444 people · home $472,900
- Vandenberg Village, CA20.0 mi · 7,308 people · home $637,100
- Isla Vista, CA20.2 mi · 15,500 people · home $1,218,800
- University of California-Santa Barbara, CA20.6 mi · 9,710 people · home $452,900
Solvang questions
Is Solvang, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Solvang scores better for retirees than 95% of California towns and quieter than 57%. 33.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 54.2).
How much does a house cost in Solvang?
The median owner-occupied home in Solvang is valued at $949,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $109,091, so homes cost about 8.7 times income. Median rent is $1,666 a month.
What is the weather like in Solvang?
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 Solvang get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Solvang 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)