How many people live in Santa Barbara County, CA?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 444,500 people living in Santa Barbara County, CA. That makes Santa Barbara County the 20th-most populous county in California. It is home to 1.1% of people living in the state.
445K
population of Santa Barbara County, CA (2024)
1.1%
County share of the California population (2024)
About 444,500 people lived in Santa Barbara County, CA in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Santa Barbara County, CA’s age demographics?
About 77,300 Santa Barbara County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 17.4% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 16.6% of California’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 98,600 Santa Barbara County residents, or 22.2% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.4% of California’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Santa Barbara County, CA's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Santa Barbara County, CA’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 49.3% of the Santa Barbara County, CA population, higher than the national share of 20%. Non-Hispanic two or more races residents make up 2.5% of the Santa Barbara County, CA population, which is equal to the national share of 2.5%.
In contrast, Santa Barbara County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 40.3%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 1.6% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Santa Barbara County, CA has a higher share of a Hispanic population than California as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Santa Barbara County, CA is Santa Maria with about 111,300 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Santa Barbara County, CA ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Santa Maria | 111,346 |
| 2. | Santa Barbara | 87,291 |
| 3. | Lompoc | 43,594 |
| 4. | Goleta | 32,611 |
| 5. | Carpinteria | 12,876 |
| 6. | Guadalupe | 8,735 |
| 7. | Solvang | 5,988 |
| 8. | Buellton | 5,023 |
| 9. | Balance of Santa Barbara County | 137,036 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
