2025 Compare Cities Overview:
South Lake Tahoe, CA vs Santa Barbara, CA

Change Cities
Highlights
Are people in Santa Barbara older or younger than people in South Lake Tahoe?
- The Median Age in Santa Barbara is 0.1 years older than in South Lake Tahoe.

Are housing costs cheaper in Santa Barbara or South Lake Tahoe?
- Santa Barbara housing costs are 132.0% more expensive than South Lake Tahoe housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Santa Barbara or South Lake Tahoe?
- The average commute for residents of Santa Barbara is 0.7 minutes longer than it is for residents of South Lake Tahoe.

Things to do in South Lake Tahoe?
South Lake Tahoe, CA lies on the California/Nevada state line at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The area offers beautiful views of Lake Tahoe as well as skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports in nearby ski resorts such as Squaw Valley USA or Alpine Meadows Ski Resort.

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.

 South Lake Tahoe, CASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock89,132329,725,481
 Median Income$57,976  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock39.138.4
 Avg. Home Price$657,600  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.1%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time16.48  Unlock26.38
Reviews for South Lake Tahoe    10 Reviews

Over 5 years ago

Pretty boring town. Very run down and seedy too. Lake is nothing special either. I much prefer the Pacific coast or even the Atlantic coast or great  More

   |    Reply

Seriously I don't get what the big deal about this dump is everything is grossly overpriced scenery is boring and not at all interesting very boring nothing to do very  More

   |    Reply

Over 5 years ago

Beautiful place to live. This site has most of the details wrong, has somehow lumped it together with Sacramento. Elevation is 6250 feet at the lake. Weather is cold in  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of South Lake Tahoe

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


Learn More About South Lake Tahoe, California
Overview
Cost of Living
Job Market
Crime
Climate
Economy
Religion
Voting
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.