2026 Compare Cities Economy:
Vista, CA vs Santa Barbara, CA

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Highlights
- Household income in Santa Barbara, is 13% more than it is in Vista and is 23% above the National Average.
- Vista unemployment rate is 7.3%.
- Santa Barbara unemployment rate is 4.1%.
 Vista, CASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.1%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock0.8%1.6%
 Future Job Growth34.4%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes8.3%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock8.0%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$33,142  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$89,243$69,021
 Family Median Income$87,438  Unlock$85,028
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 Est. Households By Income
 Vista, CASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock8.4%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K2.6%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock4.4%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K6.9%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock7.3%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K7.8%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock7.9%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K13.5%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock16.1%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K9.6%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock19.6%9.5%
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 Population By Occupation
 Vista, CASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Management, business, finance11.9%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock8.7%6.5%
 Community, social services1.5%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock1.3%1.2%
 Education, library4.1%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock3.3%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology3.7%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock3.7%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement1.4%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock8.3%5.4%
 Building maintenance6.9%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock2.2%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support22.3%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock0.7%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair11.0%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock6.7%13.1%
Reviews for Vista    21 Reviews

Over 5 years ago

I bought a house in Vista, CA, and lived there since 2013-2017. My kids and I loved that area (Shadow Ridge). People are friendly, down-to-earth, not snobby. I would  More

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I've lived here 3 years and it has an unbeatable climate. Close to everything you could want. A renovated downtown and access to mass transit. Very nice place, friendly  More

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Truly a hidden gem - I was nervous after first moving since it seemed far from San Diego, but my concerns have been fully alleviated in just a couple months of time in  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 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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