What kinds of homes are in Isla Vista, CA?

Name: Types of homes in Isla Vista, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Isla Vista, CA has 5,323 (±335) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 9,661 homes per square mile of land.

6.3% are detached single-family houses.

17.4% are in buildings of two to four units.

71.7% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 5,323 (±335)
Detached houses: 6.3%
2–4 unit buildings: 17.4%
5+ unit buildings: 71.7%

Homes in Isla Vista by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Isla Vista	Santa Barbara County	California	United States
Single-family, detached	6.3% (±2.2 points)	56.1%	57.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	4.6% (±1.9 points)	8.3%	7.4%	6.2%
2 units	9.4% (±4.0 points)	3.4%	2.4%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	8.0% (±3.3 points)	5.9%	5.4%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	18.6% (±4.3 points)	7.1%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	18.2% (±4.5 points)	6.0%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	34.9% (±5.1 points)	8.6%	13.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.0% (±0.8 points)	4.6%	3.5%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.8 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%

In Isla Vista, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Santa Barbara County (21.7%).

It is also higher than in California (24.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Isla Vista

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Isla Vista
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Isla Vista	—	71.7% (±8.0 points)	—
University of California-Santa Barbara	0.9 mi	58.9% (±12.3 points)	Not measurably different
Goleta	1.6 mi	31.3% (±3.8 points)	Lower
Eastern Goleta Valley	4.8 mi	7.5% (±2.2 points)	Lower
Santa Barbara	8.4 mi	29.9% (±2.3 points)	Lower
Mission Canyon	8.7 mi	0.0% (±7.3 points)	Lower
Montecito	13 mi	7.9% (±2.5 points)	Lower
Summerland	16 mi	12.3% (±15.0 points)	Lower
Toro Canyon	17 mi	13.5% (±9.5 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Goleta, CA (31.3%), Eastern Goleta Valley, CA (7.5%), Santa Barbara, CA (29.9%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Santa Barbara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Isla Vista	71.7% (±8.0 points)
2	University of California-Santa Barbara	58.9% (±12.3 points)
3	Goleta	31.3% (±3.8 points)
4	Santa Barbara	29.9% (±2.3 points)
5	Carpinteria	29.3% (±6.4 points)
6	Solvang	26.7% (±9.5 points)
7	Santa Maria	20.8% (±2.3 points)

Showing 7 of 22 places in Santa Barbara County, ranked from highest to lowest.

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).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Isla Vista

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).

Are most homes in Isla Vista houses or apartments?

6.3% are detached houses and 4.6% attached houses, while 89.1% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Isla Vista?

17.4% of homes in Isla Vista are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Isla Vista CDP, California

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 API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

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.