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Santa Barbara County, California: crime rate, income and local data
FBI reports put Santa Barbara County at 4.0 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 16% lower than the rate for California (4.8). Households here have a median income of $98,161 and the unemployment rate was 4.6% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 443,701 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Santa Barbara County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 1,792 violent and 6,642 property crimes per year. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 4.0: 16% lower than the California rate (4.8), and close to the national rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 15.0 per 1,000, against 21.2 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 70% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 17 homicide deaths a year in the county (3.7 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Santa Barbara County | Per 1,000 | California per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,792 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 11 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 208 | 0.47 | 0.37 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 315 | 0.71 | 1.2 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 1,258 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 6,642 | 15.0 | 21.2 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 1,023 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 4,417 | 10.0 | 13.6 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 1,202 | 2.7 | 4.3 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (9 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Santa Barbara County?
The median household in Santa Barbara County earns $98,161 a year, close to the California median ($99,122). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $790,700, and the median rent is $2,131 a month. 10.9% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.4%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 10,303 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Santa Barbara County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 443,701 | 39,287,377 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $98,161 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $790,700 | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $2,131 | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 6.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 14.7% | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 10.9% | 12.4% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 36.8% | 37.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 52.4% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 34.6 | 37.9 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 92.5% | 93.5% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 8.7% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Santa Barbara County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Santa Barbara County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are wildfire (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and earthquakes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Santa Barbara County: Casmalia Resources. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Santa Barbara County has 14 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 8 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Bradbury Dam (279 ft) and Twitchell Dam (241 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
11 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 55,534 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Santa Barbara County was covered by 7 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 3, Flood 3, Fire 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 2 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 63 community water systems, 5 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 38 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 7 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Santa Barbara County?
Santa Barbara County had 7 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Roads listed: US 101 and SR 192. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Santa Barbara County?
Santa Barbara County has 127 public schools (2024-25) and 30 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 14 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 47 fire or EMS stations and 15 police or sheriff stations. National Park Service sites here: Channel Islands National Park. 7 state parks or recreation areas: Carpinteria State Beach, Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park, El Capitán State Beach, El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park and Gaviota State Park and 2 more.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Santa Barbara County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Santa Barbara County: Santa Ynez Reservation.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Santa Barbara County
Gun shops
6 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Santa Barbara County, plus 16 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 2 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Bear Creek Trading Company LLC (Goleta), Diamond Jewelry & Loan INC (Santa Maria), Far West Guns (Santa Barbara), Goodland Guns (Goleta), Santa Barbara Loan & Jewelry (Santa Barbara) and Turners Outdoorsman (Santa Maria).
Liquor stores
68 liquor stores are on the map in Santa Barbara County: 805 Liquor (Santa Maria), Alexs Market (Lompoc), Angelo's Liquor (Goleta), Beverages & More INC (Santa Barbara), Bevmo (Santa Maria), Bevmo! (Goleta), Bottle Shop The (Santa Barbara), Broadway Liquor (Santa Maria) and 60 more.
Planned Parenthood
2 Planned Parenthood health centers are on the map in Santa Barbara County: Planned Parenthood California Central Coast (Santa Barbara) and Planned Parenthood California Central Coast-Santa Maria Center (Santa Maria).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Santa Barbara County?
Santa Barbara County averaged 1,792 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 4.0 per 1,000 residents, 16% lower than the California rate (4.8). The property-crime rate was 15.0 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Santa Barbara County?
$98,161 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $99,122 for California and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Santa Barbara County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 10,303 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Santa Barbara County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Santa Barbara County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are wildfire (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and earthquakes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Santa Barbara County?
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Santa Barbara County: Casmalia Resources.
Is there road construction in Santa Barbara County right now?
Santa Barbara County had 7 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Roads listed: US 101 and SR 192.
How many nursing homes are in Santa Barbara County?
14 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Santa Barbara County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kern County | 915,075 | 6.9 | $70,210 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 281,555 | 4.0 | $97,446 |
| Ventura County | 837,469 | 2.7 | $109,797 |
Cities in Santa Barbara County with their own page: Santa Maria, Santa Barbara.
More: California statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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