2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Northampton, MA vs Santa Barbara, CA

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Highlights
Are people in Santa Barbara older or younger than people in Northampton?
- The Median Age in Santa Barbara is 1.9 years younger than in Northampton.

Are housing costs cheaper in Santa Barbara or Northampton?
- Santa Barbara housing costs are 279.1% more expensive than Northampton housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Santa Barbara or Northampton?
- The average commute for residents of Santa Barbara is 4.4 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Northampton.

Things to do in Northampton?
Northampton, MA lies on the banks of the Connecticut River on beautiful Paradise Pond—known locally as “The Valley”—and provides access to hiking trails through Mount Tom State Reservation or kayaking down the river’s rapids in downtown Northampton State Park .

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.

 Northampton, MASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock89,132329,725,481
 Median Income$72,687  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock39.138.4
 Avg. Home Price$402,400  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.1%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time21.55  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Northampton    6 Reviews

I was born in Northampton in the 1960"s and have lived other places but always came back to live here. My two children were born here too. What draws be back to  More

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The greater Northampton, MA area is generally a pretty good place to live, if you're interested in Western MA or southern New England in general. MA is more affordable  More

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Northampton is a very progressive, diverse, liberal small city where you will find so much to do in just the downtown area alone. Music, shopping, restaurants, bars,  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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