2025 Compare Cities People:
Ames, IA vs Santa Barbara, CA

Change Cities
Highlights
- Santa Barbara is 0% more densely populated than Ames.
- People are 42.1% more likely to be married in Santa Barbara.
- The Median Age is 15.7 years older in Santa Barbara.
 Ames, IASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock89,132329,725,481
 Female Population46.6%  Unlock50.5%
 Male Population53.4%  Unlock49.5%
 Median Age  Unlock39.138.4
 space3
 Population - 201059,103  Unlock309,327,143
 Population - 2000  Unlock92,325285,036,114
 Population - 199047,198  Unlock251,960,433
 Pop. 2000 to Now  Unlock-2.2%15.6%
 Pop. 1990 to Now42.0%  Unlock30.8%
 space4
 Population Density  Unlock4,570.493.4
 Land Area27.4  Unlock3,531,905.4
 Water Area  Unlock22.5264,836.8
 space
 Est. Total Population By Age
 Ames, IASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Age 0 to 43.6%  Unlock5.9%
 Age 5 to 9  Unlock4.3%6.1%
 Age 10 to 142.8%  Unlock6.6%
 Age 15 to 17  Unlock2.9%3.9%
 Age 18 to 2021.0%  Unlock4.0%
 Age 21 to 24  Unlock6.9%5.2%
 Age 25 to 3413.4%  Unlock13.8%
 Age 35 to 44  Unlock11.2%12.9%
 Age 45 to 546.2%  Unlock12.6%
 Age 55 to 59  Unlock6.5%6.7%
 Age 60 to 643.4%  Unlock6.3%
 Age 65 to 74  Unlock11.1%9.6%
 Age 75 to 842.9%  Unlock4.5%
 Age 85 and over  Unlock3.2%1.9%
 space1
 Race
 Ames, IASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 White78.5%  Unlock59.4%
 Black  Unlock1.5%12.2%
 Asian10.5%  Unlock5.6%
 Native American  Unlock0.2%0.6%
 Hawaiian, Pacific Islander0.0%  Unlock0.2%
 Other  Unlock0.6%0.4%
 Two or More Races3.8%  Unlock3.2%
 Hispanic  Unlock36.2%18.4%
 space2
 Marriage & Family
 Ames, IASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Married Population30.3%  Unlock49.8%
     Currently Married  Unlock41.0%48.0%
 Married but Separated0.6%  Unlock1.8%
 Single Population  Unlock56.9%50.2%
 Never Married62.7%  Unlock33.8%
 Divorced  Unlock11.1%10.8%
 Widowed2.3%  Unlock5.6%
 space5
 Household Size  Unlock2.382.60
 Households24,633  Unlock124,010,992
 Family Households  Unlock19,54680,755,759
     Married couple, w/children31.2%  Unlock30.5%
     Married couple, no children  Unlock48.6%42.9%
 Non Family Households14,630  Unlock43,255,233
     Single householder, w/children  Unlock16.2%15.8%
     Single householder, no children7.0%  Unlock10.8%
Reviews for Ames    12 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

Hello, I am in San Jose Ca, but am seriously thinking of moving somewhere much slower for a better quality of living. I've just turned 59, so I'm kinda preparing for  More

   |    Reply

Over 13 years ago

Like every other city Ames has both good and bad points. The good points are: low cost of living, very friendly people, lots of outdoor activities and quite a few events  More

   |    Reply

Ames enjoys a high quality of life at a very affordable cost, substantially lower than many other communities. The presence of Iowa State University, a large (28,000  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Ames

Reviews for Santa Barbara    51 Reviews

I moved to Santa Barbara around 23 years ago to study at Brooks, which like most of the Santa Barbara that I knew—has been destroyed. Homelessness, drugs, gangs, high  More

   |    Reply

Over 4 years ago

I fell in love with Santa Barbara about thirty years ago and finally moved here a few years ago. Because of the price of homes, it is an expensive place to live. The  More

   |    Reply

If you like high crime, paying a $4,500 a month mortgage and crazy high taxes, this is the place for you. It’s too bad because it wasn’t always like this. When I moved  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Santa Barbara


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.