Anaheim vs Santa Barbara
The short version
- Santa Barbara is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Anaheim area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $831,200 in Anaheim and $1,570,800 in Santa Barbara.
- Households earn more in Santa Barbara ($106,182 vs $95,227 median).
- Anaheim has more scorching days: 39 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 5.
- Commutes are shorter in Santa Barbara (17 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Anaheim, CA | Santa Barbara, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 341,008 | 86,422 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.7% | -2.7% |
| People per square mile | 6,782 | 4,434 |
| Median age | 36.2 | 39.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 52% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $95,227 | $106,182 |
| Median home value | $831,200 | $1,570,800 |
| Home value to income | 8.7× | 14.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,175 | $2,413 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 108.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 151.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $81,600 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 40% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.4 | 17.3 |
| Work from home | 11% | 19% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 14% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 69° / 46° | 67° / 47° |
| July high / low | 84° / 66° | 76° / 60° |
| Precipitation per year | 12 in | 19 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 39 | 5 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 11 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.8 | 99.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | 45% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +2.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +43.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Anaheim: September to July. Santa Barbara: January to December.
Full monthly tables: Anaheim weather by month and Santa Barbara weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Anaheim and $81,600 in Santa Barbara. Moving from Anaheim to Santa Barbara, you would need about $71,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Anaheim and Santa Barbara
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Anaheim and Santa Barbara.
Which would you pick?
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