2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Highland Park, IL vs Santa Barbara, CA

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Highlights
Are people in Santa Barbara older or younger than people in Highland Park?
- The Median Age in Santa Barbara is 9.3 years younger than in Highland Park.

Are housing costs cheaper in Santa Barbara or Highland Park?
- Santa Barbara housing costs are 148.7% more expensive than Highland Park housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Santa Barbara or Highland Park?
- The average commute for residents of Santa Barbara is 13.9 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Highland Park.

Things to do in Highland Park?
Highland Park, IL is situated north of Chicago on Lake Michigan’s shores while surrounded by lush green woods full of wildlife that visitors can observe thanks to numerous dedicated nature preserves along cutting across the surrounding area.

Things to do in Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara, California has something for everyone - from fantastic beaches to world-class shopping and dining experiences. Visitors can explore Old Mission Santa Barbara or take part in various water activities around Stearns Wharf.

 Highland Park, ILSanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock89,132329,725,481
 Median Income$153,226  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock39.138.4
 Avg. Home Price$613,300  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.1%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time31  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Highland Park    3 Reviews

You can sail on Lake Michigan, and your culture differences are welcomed. look up "North Shore Yacht Club" for sailing and kayaking  More

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Highland Park (and the village of Highwood, which it surrounds) is a great place to live, offering a unique combination of benefits. First, it is on the shore of Lake  More

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Over 19 years ago

A wonderful place to rasie a family, but quite expensive. Great schools, but the "wealth culture" of this tony Chicago suburb causes a lot of anxiety among the kids.   More

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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

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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

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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

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