How long is the commute from Santa Barbara, CA?

Name: Commute and cars in Santa Barbara, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Workers who live in Santa Barbara, CA take an average of 17.3 minutes to get to work (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

60.8% of workers drive alone to work.

2.0% take public transportation.

4.0% of workers walk to work.

18.9% work from home.

7.9% of households have no vehicle.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Average commute: 17.3 minutes (±0.8)
Public transportation: 2.0%
Work from home: 18.9%
Households without a car: 7.9%

How people in Santa Barbara get to work

Workers 16 and over by means of transportation to work, 2020–2024
Means of transportation	Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara County	California	United States
Drove alone	60.8% (±2.2 points)	64.7%	65.7%	68.8%
Carpooled	8.5% (±1.5 points)	11.7%	9.5%	8.5%
Public transportation	2.0% (±0.5 points)	2.2%	2.9%	3.2%
Walked	4.0% (±0.7 points)	3.9%	2.4%	2.4%
Other means (bicycle, taxi, motorcycle)	5.8% (±0.9 points)	4.1%	2.4%	2.0%
Worked from home	18.9% (±1.8 points)	13.4%	17.2%	15.1%

In Santa Barbara, the average commute is lower than in Santa Barbara County (20.8 minutes).

It is also lower than in California (28.7 minutes).

It is lower than the national figure (26.4 minutes).

In Santa Barbara, the share commuting by public transportation is not measurably different from Santa Barbara County (2.2%).

It is also lower than in California (2.9%).

It is lower than the national figure (3.2%).

In Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara ranks 17 of 22 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest average commute.

Statewide, it ranks 1016 of 1,076.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Cars per household in Santa Barbara

Occupied housing units by vehicles available, 2020–2024
Vehicles available	Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara County	California	United States
No vehicle	7.9% (±1.0 points)	5.9%	7.1%	8.4%
1 vehicle	38.3% (±2.1 points)	30.7%	30.7%	33.1%
2 vehicles	36.1% (±1.9 points)	36.3%	36.3%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	17.7% (±1.7 points)	27.0%	25.8%	21.9%

In Santa Barbara, the share of households without a vehicle is higher than in Santa Barbara County (5.9%).

It is not measurably different from California (7.1%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (8.4%).

Working from home and internet access in Santa Barbara

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara County	California	United States
Workers working from home	18.9% (±1.8 points)	13.4% (±0.7 points)	17.2% (±0.1 points)	15.1%
Households with a computer	96.9% (±0.7 points)	96.4% (±0.3 points)	96.9% (±0.1 points)	95.5%
Households with broadband internet	93.9% (±0.9 points)	92.5% (±0.5 points)	93.5% (±0.1 points)	91.0%

In Santa Barbara, the share of households with a broadband subscription is higher than in Santa Barbara County (92.5%).

It is not measurably different from California (93.5%).

It is higher than the national figure (91.0%).

Average commute in places near Santa Barbara

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Santa Barbara
Place	Distance	Average commute	Compared with this place
Santa Barbara	—	17.3 minutes (±0.8)	—
Mission Canyon	3.6 mi	14.2 minutes (±2.7)	Lower
Montecito	4.7 mi	18.4 minutes (±2.8)	Not measurably different
Eastern Goleta Valley	4.9 mi	15.3 minutes (±1.1)	Lower
Summerland	7.3 mi	21.4 minutes (±7.9)	Not measurably different
University of California-Santa Barbara	7.6 mi	14.3 minutes (±1.7)	Lower
Isla Vista	8.4 mi	15.6 minutes (±1.5)	Lower
Goleta	8.6 mi	17.8 minutes (±1.4)	Not measurably different
Toro Canyon	8.8 mi	26.5 minutes (±12.1)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Mission Canyon, CA (14.2 minutes), Eastern Goleta Valley, CA (15.3 minutes), University of California-Santa Barbara, CA (14.3 minutes).

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

Average commute across Santa Barbara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Average commute
11	Orcutt	22.1 minutes (±1.8)
12	Summerland	21.4 minutes (±7.9)
13	Los Olivos	19.6 minutes (±7.9)
14	Los Alamos	18.6 minutes (±2.6)
15	Montecito	18.4 minutes (±2.8)
16	Goleta	17.8 minutes (±1.4)
17	Santa Barbara	17.3 minutes (±0.8)
18	Isla Vista	15.6 minutes (±1.5)
19	Eastern Goleta Valley	15.3 minutes (±1.1)
20	University of California-Santa Barbara	14.3 minutes (±1.7)
21	Mission Canyon	14.2 minutes (±2.7)
22	Vandenberg AFB	11.2 minutes (±4.4)

Showing 12 of 22 places in Santa Barbara County, ranked from highest to lowest.

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 Santa Barbara

How long is the average commute in Santa Barbara?

Workers who live in Santa Barbara, CA take an average of 17.3 minutes each way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Can you live in Santa Barbara without a car?

7.9% of households in Santa Barbara have no vehicle, and 2.0% of workers commute by public transportation.

How many people work from home in Santa Barbara?

18.9% (±1.8 points) of workers who live in Santa Barbara worked from home, and 93.9% of households have a broadband subscription.

Sources

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 Santa Barbara city, California (place:69070, 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.

DP03_0018E, DP03_0018M, DP03_0025E, DP03_0025M, DP03_0019PE, DP03_0019PM, DP03_0020PE, DP03_0020PM, DP03_0021PE, DP03_0021PM, DP03_0022PE, DP03_0022PM, DP03_0023PE, DP03_0023PM, DP03_0024PE, DP03_0024PM, DP04_0058PE, DP04_0058PM, DP04_0059PE, DP04_0059PM, DP04_0060PE, DP04_0060PM, DP04_0061PE, DP04_0061PM, DP02_0153PE, DP02_0153PM, DP02_0154PE, DP02_0154PM

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.