University of California-Santa Barbara, California Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

University of California-Santa Barbara is a small city located in California, within Santa Barbara County. The total population is 12,121. It ranks as the 448th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in University of California-Santa Barbara is 20.0 years. This is 47% lower than the state median of 37.9 years. Only 3.9% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in University of California-Santa Barbara is $69,327. This is 30% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 14% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 17.5%. This is 46% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 14.4%. This is 118% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $452,900. Housing costs are 38% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.5x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 14.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 74% lower than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in University of California-Santa Barbara is White (non-Hispanic), making up 45.6% of the population. Asian residents account for 29.1%. The Black or African American population (1.7%) is well below the state average of 5.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (17.3%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (29.1% vs 15.3%).

Education

80.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places University of California-Santa Barbara in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 117% 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 97.9%. Notably, 46.7% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for University of California-Santa Barbara, 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.