Santa Barbara County Demographics

A map of Santa Barbara County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Hispanic	213,992	210,584	48.2%	47.0%
White	180,184	184,746	40.6%	41.2%
Asian	22,876	25,378	5.2%	5.7%
Multiracial	16,457	16,403	3.7%	3.7%
Black	6,693	6,467	1.5%	1.4%
Native American/Other	3,499	4,651	0.8%	1.0%

Santa Barbara County, California has an estimated population of 443,701, a slight decrease from the 448,229 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 48.2% Hispanic, 40.6% White, 5.2% Asian, 3.7% Multiracial, 1.5% Black, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Santa Barbara County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Santa Barbara has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than California overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Santa Barbara County, that probability was 60.5% in 2020 and 59.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Santa Barbara County is ranked the 20th most populous county in California, out of 58 counties. Santa Barbara County was ranked the 20th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Santa Barbara County's White Population

180,184 residents of Santa Barbara County, or 40.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Santa Barbara County is higher than in California overall, where 33.8% of the population is White. Santa Barbara County ranks 35th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Barbara County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.5%. White residents' share of Santa Barbara County's population has decreased from 41.2% to 40.6%.

Santa Barbara County is more White than neighboring Kern County (29.6% White), Kings County (28% White), and Los Angeles County (24.7% White). Santa Barbara County is less White than neighboring Ventura County (41.9% White), and San Luis Obispo County (64.5% White).

Santa Barbara County's Black Population

6,693 residents of Santa Barbara County, or 1.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Santa Barbara County is slightly lower than in California overall, where 5.2% of the population is Black. Santa Barbara County ranks 37th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Barbara County's Black population has grown by an estimated 3.5%. Black residents' share of Santa Barbara County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.5%.

Santa Barbara County is more Black than neighboring San Luis Obispo County (1.1% Black). Santa Barbara County is less Black than neighboring Ventura County (1.7% Black), Kern County (4.8% Black), Kings County (5.8% Black), and Los Angeles County (7.4% Black).

Santa Barbara County's Asian Population

22,876 residents of Santa Barbara County, or 5.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Santa Barbara County is considerably lower than in California overall, where 15.3% of the population is Asian. Santa Barbara County ranks 26th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Barbara County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 9.9%. Asian residents' share of Santa Barbara County's population has decreased from 5.7% to 5.2%.

Santa Barbara County is more Asian than neighboring San Luis Obispo County (3.4% Asian), Kern County (5.1% Asian), and Kings County (3.6% Asian). Santa Barbara County is less Asian than neighboring Ventura County (7.1% Asian), and Los Angeles County (14.9% Asian).

Santa Barbara County's Hispanic Population

213,992 residents of Santa Barbara County, or 48.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Santa Barbara County is higher than in California overall, where 40.2% of the population is Hispanic. Santa Barbara County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Barbara County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 1.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Santa Barbara County's population has increased from 47.0% to 48.2%.

Santa Barbara County is more Hispanic than neighboring Ventura County (44.3% Hispanic), and San Luis Obispo County (25% Hispanic). Santa Barbara County is less Hispanic than neighboring Kern County (56.5% Hispanic), Kings County (58.2% Hispanic), and Los Angeles County (48.4% Hispanic).

Santa Barbara County's Native American/Other Population

3,499 residents of Santa Barbara County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Santa Barbara County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Santa Barbara County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Barbara County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 24.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Santa Barbara County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Santa Barbara County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Ventura County (0.9% Native American/Other), San Luis Obispo County (1% Native American/Other), Kern County (1.1% Native American/Other), Kings County (1.2% Native American/Other), and Los Angeles County (1% Native American/Other).

Santa Barbara County's Multiracial Population

16,457 residents of Santa Barbara County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Santa Barbara County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Santa Barbara County ranks 44th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Barbara County's Multiracial population has remained roughly the same. Multiracial residents' share of Santa Barbara County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.7%.

Santa Barbara County is more Multiracial than neighboring Kern County (3% Multiracial), Kings County (3.2% Multiracial), and Los Angeles County (3.5% Multiracial). Santa Barbara County is less Multiracial than neighboring Ventura County (4.1% Multiracial), and San Luis Obispo County (5.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.