County

Santa Barbara County, California in charts

In the Census Bureau's 5-year survey ending in 2024, the median household income in Santa Barbara County, California, was $98,161, about the same as California's ($99,122) and higher than the U.S. figure ($80,734). 14.7% of its people lived below the poverty line, higher than California's (12%) and the U.S. figure (12.5%). Median rent was $2,131 a month, and the typical owner-occupied home was worth $790,700.

Median household income

$98,161 ± $2,430

Median household income, dollars a year. 181st highest of 3,143 counties; 19th highest of 58 in California.

Santa Barbara County: $98,161
California: $99,122
U.S.: $80,734

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Poverty rate

14.7% ± 0.8%

Percent of people below the poverty line. 1,239th highest of 3,144 counties; 18th highest of 58 in California.

Santa Barbara County: 14.7%
California: 12%
U.S.: 12.5%

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Median rent

$2,131 ± $35

Median gross rent, dollars a month. 28th highest of 3,137 counties; 14th highest of 56 in California.

Santa Barbara County: $2,131
California: $2,036
U.S.: $1,413

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Median home value

$790,700 ± $17,571

Median home value, dollars. 33rd highest of 3,139 counties; 16th highest of 58 in California.

Santa Barbara County: $790,700
California: $734,700
U.S.: $332,700

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Average commute

20.8 minutes ± 0.4

Average one-way commute, minutes. 817th lowest of 3,143 counties; 8th lowest of 58 in California.

Santa Barbara County: 20.8 minutes
California: 28.7 minutes
U.S.: 26.4 minutes

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Cite this page

Chartly, “Santa Barbara County, California in charts”, from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates ending in 2024. https://chart.ly/counties/santa-barbara-county-california

See California in charts: the state's crime, jobs, income and more next to the U.S.

How these figures are measured

Every figure comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which asks a sample of households each year. The 5-year estimates pool five years of answers so that even small counties have one, so they describe those years together, not the latest year, and don't reflect recent price increases.
Each county figure is shown with its margin of error (±, at 90% confidence, as the Census publishes it). Small counties' margins can be wide; where a county's gap from its state or the U.S. is within its margin, we say “about the same.”
Rent is median gross rent, including utilities. Home value is what owners estimate their home would sell for. The poverty line is the same across the country, so it doesn't reflect higher living costs in some places. Commute is the average one-way trip to work; people who work from home are not counted.
Counties include county equivalents such as parishes, boroughs and independent cities. Connecticut appears as its nine planning regions, which replaced its counties in Census data.

Sources and dates

What is the typical household income in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.
What share of people live in poverty in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.
How much is rent in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.
What is the typical home worth in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.
How long is the commute to work in your county? U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Public domain (U.S. government work). This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.), data as of December 31, 2024.