Ballard, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 863, Ballard's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Ballard is a small community located in California, within Santa Barbara County. The total population is 863. It ranks as the 1106th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Ballard is 42.3 years. This is 12% higher than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Ballard is $140,833. This is 42% higher than the state median of $99,122. It is also 74% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.2%. This is 27% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 9.5%. This is 44% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $1,742,200. Housing costs are 137% higher than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio of 12.4x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 73.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 31% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Ballard is White (non-Hispanic), making up 81.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.6%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (81.3% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (7.6%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population (4.1%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

53.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 43% higher than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.8%. Notably, 30.6% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Ballard, California is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against California state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,570 Census-designated places in California. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.