A town of about 87,779 people in Santa Barbara County, part of the Santa Maria area. Resident comments and photos are about Santa Barbara; job numbers cover the wider area.
Artsy, Lively
Scored the same way as the quiz, against 819 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Santa Barbara scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Less so: cozy, historic, growing.
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Around Santa Barbara
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Around Santa Barbara
What's nearby
Within 5 miles of Santa Barbara's center.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of Santa Barbara.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
Buses and trains
Health care
Nearest hospital with an emergency room: Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
Costs of moving here
What rent costs
Of about 21,516 rented homes in Santa Barbara, 35% rent for under $2,000 a month and 73% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in Santa Barbara rents for $2,000 to $2,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $4,000 to $4,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $6,000 to $7,497 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $2,000 to $2,499, that's a yearly income of about $72,000 to $89,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to California: before and after
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the California DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: California voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Schools and childcare
Schools
21 public school districts in this county, with about 63,349 students in all. The county also has 15 public charter schools and 29 private schools. Which public school serves a home depends on its address.
Closest public schools to the center of Santa Barbara
Straight-line miles from the center of Santa Barbara, nearest first. Being closest doesn't mean a school serves a given home. "Passed the state test" is the share of students who scored proficient or better on California's own reading and math tests in the 2021-22 school year, the latest year the U.S. Department of Education has published for every school. Each state sets its own test and passing bar, so compare schools within the same state, not across states. Test results track family income closely and leave out a lot (teachers, programs, how a school fits your child). For newer results, see the state's school report card.
Public school districts in the county
School choice and pre-K in California
School choice: state law as summarized by the Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies (2022). Pre-K: share of children in state-funded pre-K, National Institute for Early Education Research, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook (2024-25 school year).
Special education in California
Source: U.S. Department of Education, 2026 determinations on state implementation of IDEA Part B (issued June 18, 2026).
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Private schools: NCES Private School Survey, 2021-22. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For programs and newer results, see each district's site and the state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
California keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $453/week about $23,600 a year | $363/week about $18,900 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $309/week about $16,100 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $242/week about $12,600 a year | $286/week about $14,900 a year |
| School-age | $115/week about $6,000 a year |
For an infant at a center: $453/week here, $371 across CA, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 22% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
6 colleges in the county around Santa Barbara. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.