2026 Compare Cities Economy:
Santa Barbara, CA vs Beaufort, NC

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Highlights
- Household income in Beaufort, is 56% less than it is in Santa Barbara and is 75% below the National Average.
- Santa Barbara unemployment rate is 4.1%.
- Beaufort unemployment rate is 4.0%.
 Santa Barbara, CABeaufort, NCUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.0%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock0.8%1.6%
 Future Job Growth28.2%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes8.8%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock5.3%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$54,426  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$39,472$69,021
 Family Median Income$118,228  Unlock$85,028
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 Est. Households By Income
 Santa Barbara, CABeaufort, NCUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock23.3%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K2.8%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock8.6%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K5.4%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock8.5%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K6.4%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock13.7%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K11.4%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock4.6%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K10.4%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock1.9%9.5%
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 Population By Occupation
 Santa Barbara, CABeaufort, NCUnited States
 Management, business, finance19.8%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock3.9%6.5%
 Community, social services2.1%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock0.0%1.2%
 Education, library5.8%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock3.5%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology6.1%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock5.9%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement0.9%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock10.5%5.4%
 Building maintenance5.9%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock1.0%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support19.0%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock1.7%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair5.5%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock13.4%13.1%
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 Beaufort    5 Reviews

Over 10 years ago

Background: I'm a medical professional considering moving to NC. Was in the Albermarle Sound area last week and on walking down a dock, noticed large swarms of tiny  More

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Over 17 years ago

The other poster is correct, outdoor activities slow down in the winter, but the social scene stays warm with house parties, pot lucks, concerts, bridge and Scrabble,  More

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Over 17 years ago

The other poster is correct, outdoor activities do slow down in the coastal winters, but the social scene stays warm with house parties, bridge, Scrabble, pot lucks,  More

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