The Town Files

University of California-Santa Barbara, California

Community in Santa Barbara County · population 9,710 (2020 Census)

Map: where University of California-Santa Barbara is in CaliforniaUniversity of California-Santa Barbara
Median home
$452,900
Household income
$69,327
Jan low / Jul high
41° / 73°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
20.0

University of California-Santa Barbara is a community of 9,710 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $452,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 100% of California towns, more of a college town than 100% of California towns, better for cycling than 100% of California towns.

University of California-Santa Barbara in our rankings:

How University of California-Santa Barbara 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.

University of California-Santa Barbara lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement26th pctFamilies23rd pctQuiet7th pctWalkability89th pctFirst-time buyers43rd pctYoung professionals100th pctVibrancy77th pctHip & trendy96th pctCollege town100th pctUpscale79th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character93rd pctCycling100th pctTransit98th pctDrivingbottomtypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in University of California-Santa Barbara is worth $452,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.5 times the median household income of $69,327, which is more affordable than 49% of California towns. Median rent is $1,526 a month. 14.7% of households own their home.

University of California-Santa Barbara vs Santa Barbara County vs typical California townUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara CountyTypical California townHome value$452,900$790,700$596,900Household income$69,327$98,161$91,557Monthly rent$1,526$2,131$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraTypical California town
Median home value$452,900$596,900
Median rent$1,526$1,827
Median household income$69,327$91,557
Home value ÷ income6.5×6.4×
Homeownership14.7%67.4%
Median year built19821977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in University of California-Santa Barbara

PeopleUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraTypical California town
Median age20.040.2
Age 65 and over0.7%17.7%
Under 183.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher80.6%27.7%
Below the poverty line17.5%10.3%
Veterans0.8%—
Born outside the U.S.20.6%—
Work from home16.8%13.4%
Average commute14.3 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband44.9%93.3%

Weather in University of California-Santa Barbara

July highs average 73.3°F and January lows 41.3°F. About 17.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 5 nights at or below freezing.

University of California-Santa Barbara monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°64°41°Jan64°44°Feb66°46°Mar68°48°Apr69°51°May70°55°Jun73°58°Jul75°58°Aug74°56°Sep73°51°Oct69°44°Nov64°40°DecPrecipitation (in)3.83.93.10.90.40.10.00.00.10.71.32.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Santa Barbara Muni Ap station (0.6 mi away); snow from Santa Barbara (9.3 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of University of California-Santa Barbara since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on January 19, 2010 about 1.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 19, 2010.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of University of California-Santa Barbara by decade01950s01960s11970s01980s11990s02000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

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

Storm events in Santa Barbara County since 1996 by typeHail4Flood11Tornado4Wildfire9High Wind37Heavy Rain9Waterspout4Debris Flow8
NOAA Storm Events Database, Santa Barbara County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 29 deaths recorded.

Santa Barbara County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 13, 2024Severe StormDR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-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 University of California-Santa Barbara itself the ACS puts it at 14.4%.

Largest industries in Santa Barbara CountyAgriculture, forestry & fishi…29,638 jobs · $40,579Health care & social assistan…28,097 jobs · $69,623Hotels & restaurants24,101 jobs · $35,120Retail18,374 jobs · $43,516Manufacturing12,476 jobs · $97,824Professional & technical serv…12,190 jobs · $141,459
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Santa Barbara County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Santa Barbara 4.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near University of California-Santa Barbara

University of California-Santa Barbara questions

Is University of California-Santa Barbara, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, University of California-Santa Barbara scores better for retirees than 26% of California towns and quieter than 7%. 0.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 20.0).

How much does a house cost in University of California-Santa Barbara?

The median owner-occupied home in University of California-Santa Barbara is valued at $452,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,327, so homes cost about 6.5 times income. Median rent is $1,526 a month.

What is the weather like in University of California-Santa Barbara?

July highs average 73.3°F and January lows 41.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 17.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does University of California-Santa Barbara get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of University of California-Santa Barbara since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on January 19, 2010. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to University of California-Santa Barbara's Census boundary (GEOID 0681316). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.