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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEStable

University Of California-Santa Barbara, CA

Stable overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while jobs needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score54out of 100
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89
0
73
63
96

Population

12,121

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+7.2% YoY

89

$41.4B

Output changed +7.2% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.8%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

0

14.4%

Unemployment is 14.4% for Latest available.

Vintage date unknown

State avg5.3%
U.S. avg4.3%

Population

+3.9% 5-year

73

12,121

Population moved +3.9% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population39,287,377
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

63

26.4%

Median rent consumes 26.4% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$2.0K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$7.6K per resident

96

$3.4B

$3.4B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$485.6B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$3.4B

$7.6K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$1.9B
2. Department of Defense$592.9M
3. Department of Veterans Affairs$193.3M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA$172.5M
2. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA$126.8M
3. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA$93.7M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

26.4%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,251
2BR estimate$1,648
Median income$69,327
Median home value$452,900

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

12,121

Median age

20.0

Bachelor's degree+

80.6%

Poverty rate

17.5%

Labor force participation

47.9%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.9%

U.S. GDP YoY

+5.9%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

Latest available

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-06-16

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+0.8%

GDP CAGR

+5.9%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
202011,671
202111,912
202211,441
202311,634
202412,121
GDP (5 years)
2020$31.1B
2021$34.7B
2022$36.9B
2023$38.6B
2024$41.4B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

202412,121
202511,942 *
202612,005 *

R² = 13.9% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$41.4B
2025$43.9B *
2026$46.4B *

R² = 98.6% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$69,327/yr
Median rent$1,526/mo
Rent share of income26.4%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$27,481/yr
Mortgage share of income39.6%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate14.4%
State avg5.3%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation47.9%
Poverty rate17.5%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. Latest available.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$452,900
Median monthly rent$1,526
Price-to-rent ratio24.7x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score55/100
Economic growth89/100
Labor market0/100
Population momentum73/100
Overall stability54/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

University of California-Santa Barbara CDP, California

City/Town

Part of

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Nearby locations

Isla Vista, CAGoleta, CAEastern Goleta Valley, CASanta Barbara, CAMission Canyon, CA