Santa Barbara County, California
Located in California, Santa Barbara County has a population of 443,701 residents and a median age of 34.6 years, making it the #164 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.7%. The median home value is $790,700, and the median household income is $98,161, which is 31% above the national median.
Demographics
Santa Barbara County has a population of 443,701, making it the #164 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.6 years, which is 11.1% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Santa Barbara County is $98,161, ranking #181 out of 3,222 counties — 30.6% above the national median. The poverty rate is 14.7% and unemployment stands at 6.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Santa Barbara County is $790,700 (+180.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $2,131/mo and the homeownership rate is 52.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Santa Barbara County, 36.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 9.2% above the national average, ranking #386 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Santa Barbara County is 80.6 years. 16.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
9.5% of adults in Santa Barbara County smoke , 31.6% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 25.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Santa Barbara County is 3.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
17.0% of children in Santa Barbara County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 17.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Santa Barbara County is 70.6%. The mean commute time is 23.2 min, which is 15.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Santa Barbara County voted Democratic with a margin of 26.7%. The vote was 61.8% Dem / 35.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County, California has a total population of 443,701, making it the 164th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Santa Barbara County is 34.6 years, which is 11.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Santa Barbara County is $98,161, which ranks #181 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.6% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.3%.
The median home value in Santa Barbara County is $790,700, 180.5% above the national median. Renters in Santa Barbara County pay a median gross rent of $2,131 per month. The homeownership rate is 52.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Santa Barbara County, 36.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 9.2% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.2 min.
Santa Barbara County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 48.2% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (40.6%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (5.2%).
All data for Santa Barbara County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.