Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety58#385/924
Economy60#369/925
Housing2#911/925
Health86#134/925
Healthcare82#169/923
Environment93#61/917
Education56#405/925
Infrastructure96#40/925
Community44#520/925
Leisure & amenities94#57/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Comfortable days · high56.5%
100/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · low5.4 /100k
97/100California 6.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Median household income · high$98,161
96/100California $100,130United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.0 /10k
95/100California 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Life expectancy · high80.6 yrs
95/100California 79.7 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · low27.6%
95/100California 30.4%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Severe housing problems · high28.3%
0/100California 25.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · high73.2%
0/100California 54.7%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Home price to income ratio · high8.1×
1/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Rent as share of income · high34.7%
4/100California 32.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · high57.7%
5/100California 55.3%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.494
7/100California 0.489United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
92% (2021) → 5% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
−88 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
50.2% (Dec 2021) → 73.2% (Aug 2026)
+23 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
High ozone daysImproving
1 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Child care cost burdenWorsening
24.9% (2020 & 2021) → 34.9% (2023 & 2024)
+9.9 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Homicide rateImproving
5.3 /100k (2021) → 2.7 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−49%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$56,298 (2019) → $81,203 (2024)
+44%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area improved on 13 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 5 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Libraries+18%0.4 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Real income+44%$56,298 → $81,203
Uninsured−1.5 points11.6% → 10.2%
Household income+32%$74,624 → $98,161
Grocery stores+5.8%2.6 /10k → 2.7 /10k

Declined8

Poverty+1.2 points13.5% → 14.7%
Child poverty+2.2 points15.6% → 17.8%
Transit use−0.8 points3.0% → 2.2%
Overdose deaths+14%18.5 /100k → 21.1 /100k
Firearm deaths+20%4.5 /100k → 5.4 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	6.2 /10k2020	6.6 /10k2025	+6.9%	Improved	45%
Average commute time	20.5 min2015-2019	20.8 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	51%
Average weekly wage	$1,1382020	$1,4052025	+23%	Improved	51%
Bachelor's degree or higher	34.2%2015-2019	36.8%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Improved	46%
Broadband subscriptions	87.8%2015-2019	92.5%2020-2024	+4.7 points	Improved	7%
Child poverty rate	15.6%2015-2019	17.8%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Declined	9%
Distance to an airport	26 mi2020	26 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	18.5 /100k2020	21.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+14%	Declined	20%
Effective property tax rate	0.58%2015-2019	0.59%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Firearm deaths	4.5 /100k2020	5.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+20%	Declined	25%
Grocery stores	2.6 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	+5.8%	Improved	70%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.9 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+5.1%	Improved	53%
High school diploma or higher	80.9%2015-2019	81.9%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Home price to income ratio	7.7×2015-2019	8.1×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	65%
Homicide rate	3.1 /100k2020	2.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−13%	Improved	35%
Income adjusted for local prices	$56,2982019	$81,2032024	+44%	Improved	95%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4822015-2019	0.4942020-2024	+0.013	Declined	24%
Median household income	$74,6242015-2019	$98,1612020-2024	+32%	Improved	73%
New business applications	7.3 /1k2020	9.1 /1k2025	+25%	Improved	21%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−4.7%	Little change	58%
Poverty rate	13.5%2015-2019	14.7%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Declined	11%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	+18%	Improved	95%
Public transit commuters	3.0%2015-2019	2.2%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Declined	21%
Rent as share of income	33.4%2015-2019	34.7%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Declined	30%
Rent-burdened households	56.8%2015-2019	57.7%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Restaurants and bars	9.4 /10k2020	9.8 /10k2025	+3.6%	Little change	61%
Suicide rate	11.6 /100k2020	11.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−2.6%	Little change	66%
Traffic deaths	8.3 /100k2015-2019	8.8 /100k2020-2024	+6.7%	Declined	50%
Unemployment rate	8.2%2020	4.8%2025	−3.4 points	Improved	61%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.6%2015-2019	10.2%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Improved	77%
Violent crime rate	410 /100k2020	422 /100k2025	+2.7%	Little change	23%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area itself moved −4 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

443,701 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 men (−0.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

443,701 residents

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

White41%180,184
Black1.5%6,693
Hispanic or Latino48%213,992

Education

278,364 residents (±161)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

No high school diploma18%50,402
High school or GED17%47,002
Some college20%55,400

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

149,608 households (±835)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

Under $25k13%18,793
$25k–50k13%20,092
$50k–75k13%20,151
$75k–100k11%16,912
$100k–150k18%26,757
$150k–200k11%16,945
$200k or more20%29,958

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+8.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

149,608 households (±835)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

Own52%78,344
Rent48%71,264

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

68,572 households (±1,303)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

Under $7505.1%3,529
$750–1,0003.2%2,225
$1,000–1,50014%9,275

Home values

78,344 homes (±1,317)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

Under $150k5.6%4,372
$150k–250k2.1%1,666
$250k–400k6.7%5,213

Age of homes

160,592 homes (±195)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

2010 or later6.6%10,645
2000–20099.1%14,600
1980–199924%38,995

Size of homes

160,592 homes (±195)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

Studio4.7%7,547
1 bedroom13%21,449
2 bedrooms27%43,962
3 bedrooms

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

201,783 workers (±2,477)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

Drive alone65%130,630
Carpool12%23,543
Public transit2.2%4,440
Walk3.9%7,774
Bike2.4%4,742
Work from home13%27,102
Other1.8%3,552

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+7.2 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

174,681 workers (±2,557)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
United States share

Under 15 min41%71,362
15–29 min36%62,701
30–44 min13%22,235

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA employ 48,830 people. 9 pay a median above the US median and 1 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse11,020 jobs	11,020	$36,230US $35,660	+2%	32×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides6,470 jobs	6,470	$34,320US $35,800	−4%	1.16×
Fast Food and Counter Workers5,930 jobs	5,930	$42,940US $31,200	+38%	1.19×
Retail Salespersons4,490 jobs	4,490	$37,200US $35,410	+5%	0.89×
Cashiers4,170 jobs	4,170	$36,600US $32,880	+11%	1.05×
Office Clerks, General3,630 jobs	3,630	$55,620US $45,010	+24%	1.14×
Waiters and Waitresses3,540 jobs	3,540	$35,260US $35,230	0%	1.21×
General and Operations Managers3,410 jobs	3,410	$111,390US $105,770	+5%	0.75×
Registered Nurses3,280 jobs	3,280	$137,360US $97,550	+41%	0.75×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners2,890 jobs	2,890	$37,900US $36,840	+3%	1.01×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA has 12,484 employer establishments, 282 for every 10,000 residents (1.14× the US rate of 248), with 160,460 paid employees at an average annual pay of $69,069. The Census Bureau also counts 35,359 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 12,484; 35,359 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 282; US 248
Paid employees: 160,460
Average annual pay: $69,069; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,082	24.4	1.17×About typical	10,441	$77,595	1,856
Restaurants and other eating places	979	22.1	1.20×About typical	18,720	$29,079	113
Specialty trade contractors	871	19.7	1.27×More than typical	6,549	$64,625	1,470
Lessors of real estate	752	17	1.38×More than typical	2,677	$60,595	4,148
Services to buildings and dwellings	453	10.2	1.52×More than typical	3,508	$42,368	2,104
Limited-service restaurants	420	9.5	1.18×About typical	7,700	$25,575	54
Offices of physicians	416	9.4	1.45×More than typical	3,089	$119,665	414
Full-service restaurants	404	9.1	1.19×About typical	8,974	$32,731	36
Construction of buildings	387	8.7	1.16×About typical	2,362	$76,369	811
Management, scientific and technical consulting	350	7.9	1.18×About typical	1,319	$108,594	1,778
Building equipment contractors	335	7.6	1.26×More than typical	2,395	$74,384	341
Building finishing contractors	288	6.5	1.71×More than typical	2,228	$52,390	551

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 442,878 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $575.3M on contracts performed in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area: $1,301 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $575.3M; −17% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,301; US $2,007
Sole-source: 17%; US 30%
Single offer: 25%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Air Force$178M31%
Department of the Army$138.4M24%
Department of the Navy$118.4M21%
Forest Service$38.8M6.7%
Defense Logistics Agency$24.5M4.3%
Departmental Offices$13.4M2.3%
Defense Microelectronics Activity$12.8M2.2%
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency$12.1M2.1%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

524.9MFY2017
632.7MFY2018
642.2MFY2019
618.1MFY2020
505.6MFY2021
510.4MFY2022
731.2MFY2023
693.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$121.7M21%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$110.4M19%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$80.5M14%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$54.1M9.4%
Communications equipment manufacturing · 3342$21M3.6%
Water, sewage and other systems · 2213

Largest awards

UNDERSEA WARFARE TRAINING RANGE (USWTR) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS WILL PROVIDE THE CAPABILITY FOR UNDERSEA WARFARE (USW) TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT IN SHALLOW WATER AND DEEP WATER UNDER ADVERSE CONDITIONS FOR AIR, SURFACE, AND SUBSURFACE FORCES.$267.9M
L3 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.· Santa Barbara County, CA· Other equipment & supplies· Jul 8, 2021 – Dec 23, 2025· N6134021C0023
ACQUISITION AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOLLOW-ON.$155.2M
TECOLOTE RESEARCH, INC.· Santa Barbara County, CA· Professional services· Aug 19, 2019 – May 11, 2026· FA880719F0008
GBSD CMF$126.2M
KORTE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY· Santa Barbara County, CA· Construction & real property· Sep 26, 2023 – May 7, 2026· W912PL23C0017

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $2.6B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area: $5,832 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $2.6B; −5.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,832; US $12,975
Loan face value: $135.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.6B63%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$175.4M6.8%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$150M5.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$114.3M4.4%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$99.6M3.9%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$65.9M2.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$45.1M1.7%
20.272 · Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)$24.9M1.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA$148.6M5.8%
SANTA BARBARA, CA
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA$98.8M3.8%
LOMPOC, CA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA$84.1M3.3%
SACRAMENTO, CA
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA$56.4M2.2%
SANTA BARBARA, CA
COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.9B73%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$204.2M7.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$155M6.0%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal Highway Administration$86.7M3.4%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

2.6BFY2021
2.3BFY2022
2.4BFY2023
2.5BFY2024
2.7BFY2025
2.6BFY2026

County aggregates

81%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Santa Barbara CountyCentral county67442,065

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in California

Areas based in California, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M42200

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in California

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined8

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought