Housing data for Isla Vista, CA
Isla Vista, CA has an estimated 13,920 residents and 5,323 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County.
98.8% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,878 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−49.8%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 13,920 (±1,069)
- Housing units
- 5,323 (±335)
- Households that rent
- 98.8%
- Median gross rent
- $1,878
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −49.8%
What stands out in Isla Vista
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 71.7% (±8.0 points) in Isla Vista, higher than in Santa Barbara County (21.7%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 71.7% (±6.9 points) in Isla Vista, higher than in Santa Barbara County (23.9%).
Households that rent: 98.8% (±0.7 points) in Isla Vista, higher than in Santa Barbara County (47.6%).
Median household income: $25,972 (±$5,478) in Isla Vista, lower than in Santa Barbara County ($98,161).
- Types of homes in Isla Vista
- How long people stay in Isla Vista
- Renters and owners in Isla Vista
- Income and affordability in Isla Vista
Housing in Isla Vista at a glance
- Median rent: $1,878 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,547 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 88.8% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 98.8% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $25,972 median household income
- Home values: $1,218,800 median home value (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Homeowner costs: $3,302 median monthly cost with a mortgage (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Property taxes: $7,500 median real estate taxes a year (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Types of homes: 71.7% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 22.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 60.6% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 2.9% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 53.4% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 15.6 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −49.8% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 71.7% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 16.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Isla Vista against Santa Barbara County, its state and the nation
| Isla Vista | Santa Barbara County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,920 (±1,069) | 443,701 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 5,323 (±335) | 160,592 (±195) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 98.8% (±0.7 points) | 47.6% (±0.9 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,878 (±$95) | $2,131 (±$35) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $25,972 (±$5,478) | $98,161 (±$2,430) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,218,800 (±$877,610) | $790,700 (±$17,571) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $7,500 (±$4,517) | $5,103 (±$149) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 60.6% (±7.5 points) | 60.0% (±1.3 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 15.6 minutes (±1.5) | 20.8 minutes (±0.4) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 88.7% (±3.6 points) | 92.5% (±0.5 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 21.2 years (±0.2) | 34.6 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Isla Vista covers 0.6 square miles of land, about 25,263 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Isla Vista has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 27,707 (±978) | 13,920 (±1,069) | −49.8% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 5,827 (±318) | 5,323 (±335) | −8.6% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $1,503 (±$54) | $1,878 (±$95) | +25.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $466,700 (±$174,563) | $1,218,800 (±$877,610) | +161.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $24,545 (±$3,262) | $25,972 (±$5,478) | +5.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,992 (±$1,648) | $3,302 (±$391) | +65.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,648 (±$1,738) | $7,500 (±$4,517) | +105.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 98.0% (±0.6 points) | 98.8% (±0.7 points) | +0.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.9% (±1.3 points) | 2.9% (±2.1 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Santa Barbara County
Isla Vista has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Santa Barbara County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Santa Barbara County recorded 419 violent and 1,255 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Isla Vista
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Santa Barbara | 0.9 mi | $1,526 | $452,900 | 85.3% |
| Goleta | 1.6 mi | $2,437 | $1,062,100 | 49.3% |
| Eastern Goleta Valley | 4.8 mi | $2,964 | $1,361,700 | 25.4% |
| Santa Barbara | 8.4 mi | $2,413 | $1,570,800 | 60.1% |
| Mission Canyon | 8.7 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 28.9% |
| Montecito | 13 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 24.2% |
| Summerland | 16 mi | — | $2,000,000 or more | 35.7% |
| Toro Canyon | 17 mi | $2,179 | $2,000,000 or more | 14.1% |
Places in California most like Isla Vista
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Santa Barbara | $1,526 | $452,900 | $69,327 | 85.3% |
| Marin City | $1,335 | $1,142,700 | $68,846 | 61.3% |
| Hawthorne | $1,782 | $863,400 | $75,848 | 72.8% |
| West Hollywood | $2,091 | $924,800 | $96,995 | 80.2% |
| Sand City | $2,316 | $1,080,400 | $77,917 | 81.5% |
| Glendale | $2,182 | $1,102,300 | $88,393 | 64.8% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Isla Vista, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,479 | $2,711 | $3,106 | $3,990 | $4,557 |
HUD income limits for Isla Vista, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $38,300 | $63,750 | $102,000 |
| 2 people | $43,750 | $72,850 | $116,600 |
| 3 people | $49,200 | $81,950 | $131,150 |
| 4 people | $54,650 | $91,050 | $145,700 |
| 5 people | $59,050 | $98,350 | $157,400 |
| 6 people | $63,400 | $105,650 | $169,050 |
| 7 people | $67,800 | $112,950 | $180,700 |
| 8 people | $72,150 | $120,200 | $192,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $118,600.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Isla Vista is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Isla Vista
What is the average rent in Isla Vista, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Isla Vista is $1,878 (±$95) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Isla Vista?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Isla Vista, CA is $1,843 (±$107) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Isla Vista rent-burdened?
88.8% of renting households in Isla Vista pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Isla Vista?
Isla Vista has an estimated 4,705 (±364) renting households, 98.8% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Isla Vista?
The median household income in Isla Vista is $25,972 (±$5,478) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Isla Vista?
Isla Vista, CA has an estimated 5,323 (±335) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Isla Vista growing?
In Isla Vista, the number of residents went from 27,707 in 2015–2019 to 13,920 in 2020–2024 (−49.8%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Isla Vista CDP, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Isla Vista CDP, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Isla Vista CDP, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Isla Vista CDP, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Isla Vista CDP, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Isla Vista CDP, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Isla Vista CDP, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Isla Vista CDP, California (place:36868, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .