Santa Barbara, CA Economy


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Santa Barbara, CA is a beautiful coastal city in Southern California. It is known for its sunny weather and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. The city is also home to several local businesses that range from restaurants to tech companies. As far as living costs go, the average two bedroom rent in Santa Barbara is $3,280 per month which is more than double the national average of $1,430. Similarly, the grocery cost index in Santa Barbara (114) is also higher than the national average (100). This means that groceries are generally more expensive in Santa Barbara than elsewhere in the country. Some notable local businesses with headquarters in Santa Barbara include BlackLine Systems, LogMeIn, and Sientra Inc.

Santa Barbara has an unemployment rate of 4.1%. The US average is 6.0%.

Santa Barbara has seen the job market decrease by -6.5% over the last year. Future job growth over the next ten years is predicted to be 28.2%, which is lower than the US average of 33.5%.

Tax Rates for Santa Barbara
- The Sales Tax Rate for Santa Barbara is 7.8%. The US average is 7.3%.
- The Income Tax Rate for Santa Barbara is 9.3%. The US average is 4.6%.
- Tax Rates can have a big impact when Comparing Cost of Living.

Income and Salaries for Santa Barbara
- The average income of a Santa Barbara resident is $54,426 a year. The US average is $37,638 a year.
- The Median household income of a Santa Barbara resident is $89,243 a year. The US average is $69,021 a year.

Income by Population Percent

  EconomySanta Barbara, CaliforniaUnited States
  4.16
  -6.5%-6.2%
  28.2%33.5%
  8.8%6.2%
  8.0%4.6%
  $54,426$37,638
  $89,243$69,021
  $118,228$85,028
  Population by Occupation
  0.7%1.2%
  0.1%0.5%
  5.6%6.8%
  5.5%10.0%
  1.9%2.5%
  9.0%11.0%
  2.6%4.8%
  0.4%0.8%
  2.4%1.9%
  4.4%4.7%
  3.0%1.9%
  13.0%7.6%
  0.3%0.1%
  5.5%4.2%
  10.2%9.3%
  13.7%14.0%
  2.0%2.1%
  11.8%7.0%
  5.3%4.8%
  2.8%4.7%
Reviews for Santa Barbara
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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 3 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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