Santa Barbara vs Santa Maria
A side-by-side comparison of Santa Barbara and Santa Maria: population, income, housing, and more.
Santa Barbara and Santa Maria are places in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Santa Maria has the higher population (109,880 vs 88,024 in Santa Barbara). Santa Barbara has the higher median household income ($101,672 vs $84,617 in Santa Maria). Santa Barbara has the higher median home value ($1,466,400 vs $478,200 in Santa Maria).
Population, income & housing
| Santa Barbara | Santa Maria | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 88,024 | 109,880 |
| Median age | 39.4 yrs | 29.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $101,672 | $84,617 |
| Median home value | $1,466,400 | $478,200 |
| Median gross rent | $2,302 | $1,842 |
| Housing units | 39,015 | 30,212 |
| Homeownership rate | 39.8% | 51.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.2% | 15.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 7.1% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Santa Barbara | Santa Maria | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 91,376 → 88,024 (-3.7%) | 106,224 → 109,880 (+3.4%) |
| Median household income | $76,606 → $101,672 (+32.7%) | $63,341 → $84,617 (+33.6%) |
| Median home value | $1,051,500 → $1,466,400 (+39.5%) | $344,100 → $478,200 (+39.0%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,786 → $2,302 (+28.9%) | $1,414 → $1,842 (+30.3%) |
Santa Barbara
91,37688,024
$76,606$101,672
$1,051,500$1,466,400
$1,786$2,302
Santa Maria
106,224109,880
$63,341$84,617
$344,100$478,200
$1,414$1,842
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Santa Barbara | Santa Maria | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.8% | 8.9% |
| 5 to 17 | 12.5% | 22.5% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.7% | 12.6% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.3% | 12.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.6% | 10.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.3% | 8.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.2% | 6.1% |
| 75 and over | 8.9% | 4.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Santa Barbara | Santa Maria | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 53.4% | 14.1% |
| Black or African American | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 3.7% | 4.1% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 3.6% | 1.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36.8% | 78.9% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Santa Barbara | Santa Maria | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 11.1% | 36.7% |
| High school graduate | 11.9% | 21.6% |
| Some college or associate's | 26.8% | 26.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 29.7% | 11.2% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 20.6% | 4.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Santa Barbara | Santa Maria | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 61.3% | 71.8% |
| Carpooled | 9.7% | 18.9% |
| Public transit | 2.3% | 1.6% |
| Walked | 4.2% | 1.2% |
| Bicycle | 3.2% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 17.0% | 5.3% |
| Other means | 2.3% | 0.9% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Santa Barbara | Santa Maria | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 45.8% | 60.1% |
| 1-unit, attached | 9.6% | 5.9% |
| 2 to 4 units | 13.7% | 8.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 18.0% | 12.4% |
| 20 or more units | 12.3% | 8.6% |
| Mobile home & other | 0.6% | 4.7% |
Poverty & households
| Santa Barbara | Santa Maria | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 15.5% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 3.73 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 17 | 22 |
| Median year structure built | 1964 | 1981 |
Full profiles
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