CA
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara incorporated as a city in 1850, the year California achieved statehood, and operates as a charter city under a council-administrator government: a directly elected mayor plus six council members elected by district, per a charter adopted in 1967. The 2020 Census counted 88,665 residents in 35,383 households. Several places commonly marketed as Santa Barbara neighborhoods sit outside the city limits: Hope Ranch and Mission Canyon are unincorporated county land sharing Santa Barbara postal addresses but falling under county, not city, jurisdiction. The city's built character traces to the 1925 earthquake, which destroyed much of State Street; the rebuild, led by Pearl Chase and the Community Arts Association, pushed the Spanish Colonial Revival look codified in the two-part El Pueblo Viejo Landmark District, where the Historic Landmarks Commission reviews exterior alterations. A 1972 charter amendment capped building heights citywide from 30 to 60 feet depending on zone. Stearns Wharf, built 1872, is the oldest working wooden wharf on the California coast, and State Street has been closed to cars for roughly ten blocks since 2020, with a final Master Plan expected before Council in August 2026.
Santa Barbara Neighborhoods
The Riviera
The Riviera occupies the hillside terrace east of the Santa Barbara Mission, and the city's own General Plan splits it into two distinct planning nei…
The Mesa
The Mesa occupies a tableland of bluffs above Santa Barbara's southern coastline, spanning a little over two and a half miles between the City Colleg…
San Roque
San Roque climbs the foothills northwest of downtown Santa Barbara, its city-platted acreage running from Foothill Road at the top down to the commer…
Mission Canyon
Mission Canyon is unincorporated Santa Barbara County land, administered through county planning, permitting, and fire-protection systems rather than…
Upper East
Upper East's land use is set directly by the City of Santa Barbara's General Plan, which splits the neighborhood at Sola and Valerio streets. To the…
West Beach
West Beach is one of Santa Barbara's officially mapped General Plan neighborhoods, spanning 183 acres and 619 dwelling units, all inside the city's c…
Samarkand
Municipal planning records draw Samarkand's boundary with unusual precision: on the north side the line sits just above Samarkand Drive and continues…
Eucalyptus Hill
Eucalyptus Hill occupies a genuinely split jurisdiction: most of the neighborhood falls within Santa Barbara's city limits, while a fringe along Summ…
Hidden Valley
Hidden Valley occupies roughly 335 acres inside Santa Barbara's incorporated city limits, a status that puts building and remodeling decisions under…
Funk Zone
The Funk Zone occupies a compact, walkable pocket of southern Santa Barbara, running from State Street on the west toward the Cabrillo Boulevard shor…
Hope Ranch
Cross Highway 101 heading toward the ocean west of Santa Barbara and you leave city jurisdiction behind: this stretch of coast is unincorporated land…
Downtown Santa Barbara
Downtown Santa Barbara forms the city's civic and commercial core, split by the General Plan into two adjoining neighborhoods: Downtown proper, stret…
Santa Barbara by Lifestyle
Homes for Sale in Santa Barbara
View all Santa Barbara listings →
Recently Sold in Santa Barbara
Based on information from the Santa Barbara MLS as of July 27, 2026. Display of MLS data is usually deemed reliable but is NOT guaranteed accurate by the MLS. Buyers are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all information and should investigate the data themselves or retain appropriate professionals. Information from sources other than the Listing Agent may have been included in the MLS data. Unless otherwise specified in writing, Broker/Agent has not and will not verify any information obtained from other sources. The Broker/Agent providing the information contained herein may or may not have been the Listing and/or Selling Agent.
The information being provided by Conejo Simi Moorpark Association of REALTORS® ("CSMAR") is for the visitor's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties a visitor may be interested in purchasing or leasing. Information relating to properties referenced on this web site may originate from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) program of CSMAR. This web site may reference real estate listing(s) held by a brokerage firm other than the broker and/or agent who owns this web site. Any information originating from CSMAR, relating to a property, regardless of source, including but not limited to square footages and lot sizes, is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be personally verified through personal inspection by and/or with the appropriate professionals. Listing data originating from CSMAR is copyrighted by CSMAR and is protected by all applicable copyright laws. Any dissemination of this information is in violation of copyright laws and is strictly prohibited.
121 School Index
Individual-school indicators summarize published academic, readiness, and attendance data. They do not grade the area or guarantee enrollment.
No reviewed school-to-area mapping is available for this area. No area-level school grade is inferred.
School indicators are school-level facts for reviewed nearby schools, not an attendance assignment. Confirm current boundaries and enrollment rules directly with the school district.
Sources: United States Census Bureau TIGER/Line; normalized by 121 Enterprise · California Department of Education · California Department of Education · California Department of Education · California Department of Education · California Department of Education · United States Census Bureau TIGER/Line · United States Census Bureau TIGER/Line · United States Census Bureau TIGER/Line · National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE School Geocodes · Source vintage: 2024-25 · 2025-26 · 2024-25-v2a · 2024-25 · 2025 · Read the exact methodology
Living in Santa Barbara — Questions Buyers Ask
Is Santa Barbara a charter city?
Yes. Santa Barbara incorporated in 1850 and operates under a charter, adopted by City Council vote on May 2, 1967, with a council-administrator government: a directly elected mayor plus six council members elected by district.
Is Hope Ranch part of the City of Santa Barbara?
No. Hope Ranch is unincorporated Santa Barbara County land, part of the Eastern Goleta Valley census area, with the County Sheriff's Office holding primary law-enforcement jurisdiction there rather than city police. It shares Santa Barbara postal addresses, which is the source of most of the confusion, but sits outside city jurisdiction.
Is Mission Canyon in the city or the county?
The county. Mission Canyon is an unincorporated area covered by its own roughly 1,122-acre Santa Barbara County Community Plan, located immediately north of and adjoining the city rather than inside it.
Why are there no tall buildings in Santa Barbara?
A 1972 voter-approved charter amendment, passed after a proposed eleven-story condo project on what is now Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden, capped building heights citywide: 30 feet in one- and two-family residential zones, 45 feet for multi-family, and 60 feet for commercial (reduced to 45 feet for new commercial construction unless a project qualifies as a Community Benefit Project).
Can I renovate a house in the El Pueblo Viejo district however I want?
No. Properties inside the two-part El Pueblo Viejo Landmark District fall under the jurisdiction of the city's Historic Landmarks Commission for any exterior alteration or new construction, a design-review requirement that traces back to the Spanish Colonial Revival rebuild after the 1925 earthquake.
Is State Street still closed to cars?
As of 2026, yes — State Street has been closed to vehicle traffic for roughly ten blocks since 2020. The city is running a State Street Master Plan process to decide its long-term configuration, with a final plan version expected before City Council in August 2026, so the current car-free layout isn't yet permanent policy.
