2026 Compare Cities Overview:
Santa Barbara, CA vs Beacon, NY

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Highlights
Are people in Beacon older or younger than people in Santa Barbara?
- The Median Age in Beacon is 0.9 years older than in Santa Barbara.

Are housing costs cheaper in Beacon or Santa Barbara?
- Beacon housing costs are 72.0% less expensive than Santa Barbara housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Beacon or Santa Barbara?
- The average commute for residents of Beacon is 19.2 minutes longer than it is for residents of Santa Barbara.

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.

Things to do in Beacon?
Beacon, NY is an attractive city situated on the Hudson River north of New York City featuring several spectacular spots such as Dia:Beacon exhibiting modern art or Hudson Highlands State Park ideal for hiking and camping; they organize unique events like Beacon Sloop Club Clearwater Festival each summer.

 Santa Barbara, CABeacon, NYUnited States
 Population  Unlock13,713329,725,481
 Median Income$89,243  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock4038.4
 Avg. Home Price$1,525,500  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock5.8%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time17.15  Unlock26.38
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 5 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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Reviews for Beacon    13 Reviews

Over 4 years ago

Forget the negative reviews of Beacon. Those are old and the city has changed so much. Beacon is quaint, friendly, and growing so much. There's so much to see and do  More

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Great shopping they said, cute town, great art, lots of culture, amazing antique stores, fashionable and chic, a home away from home for Brooklyn and NYC denizens.  More

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Over 9 years ago

So this town had a lot of potential and I decided to visit ultimately buying a condo. It was a town in transition 7 yrs ago.....now it is growing into a hipster arts  More

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