How are homes heated in Santa Barbara, CA?

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

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Santa Barbara, used by 63.9% (±2.2 points) of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

29.5% heat with electricity.

0.0% heat with fuel oil or kerosene.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Utility gas: 63.9% (±2.2 points)
Electricity: 29.5%
Fuel oil, kerosene: 0.0%

Heating fuel in Santa Barbara

Occupied housing units by house heating fuel, 2020–2024
Fuel used most	Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara County	California	United States
Utility gas	63.9% (±2.2 points)	68.9%	61.0%	46.5%
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.1%	0.2%	3.9%
Electricity	29.5% (±1.9 points)	22.8%	29.5%	41.3%
Bottled or tank gas (propane)	1.4% (±0.5 points)	2.7%	3.4%	4.9%
Wood	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.4%	1.3%	1.4%
Solar energy	1.2% (±0.4 points)	0.8%	1.2%	0.3%
Coal or coke	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.0%	0.0%	0.1%
Other fuel	0.2% (±0.3 points)	0.2%	0.3%	0.5%
No fuel used	3.8% (±1.0 points)	4.0%	3.0%	1.2%

The survey asks which fuel is used most to heat the home, so a home with a heat pump and an oil backup is counted once, under the one it uses most.

In Santa Barbara, the share of homes heating with fuel oil is not measurably different from Santa Barbara County (0.1%).

It is also lower than in California (0.2%).

It is lower than the national figure (3.9%).

In Santa Barbara, the share of homes heating with electricity is higher than in Santa Barbara County (22.8%).

It is not measurably different from California (29.5%).

It is lower than the national figure (41.3%).

Homes heated by electricity in places near Santa Barbara

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Santa Barbara
Place	Distance	Homes heated by electricity	Compared with this place
Santa Barbara	—	29.5% (±1.9 points)	—
Mission Canyon	3.6 mi	24.6% (±8.5 points)	Not measurably different
Montecito	4.7 mi	21.7% (±4.4 points)	Lower
Eastern Goleta Valley	4.9 mi	21.3% (±2.9 points)	Lower
Summerland	7.3 mi	31.1% (±20.3 points)	Not measurably different
University of California-Santa Barbara	7.6 mi	19.5% (±9.1 points)	Lower
Isla Vista	8.4 mi	34.0% (±5.4 points)	Not measurably different
Goleta	8.6 mi	30.3% (±2.8 points)	Not measurably different
Toro Canyon	8.8 mi	20.3% (±9.8 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Montecito, CA (21.7%), Eastern Goleta Valley, CA (21.3%), University of California-Santa Barbara, CA (19.5%).

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

Homes heated by fuel oil across Santa Barbara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes heated by fuel oil
2 (tie)	Eastern Goleta Valley	0.2% (±0.3 points)
2 (tie)	Isla Vista	0.2% (±0.3 points)
5 (tie)	Buellton	0.0% (±2.2 points)
5 (tie)	Carpinteria	0.0% (±0.8 points)
5 (tie)	Guadalupe	0.0% (±2.0 points)
5 (tie)	Lompoc	0.0% (±0.3 points)
5 (tie)	Santa Barbara	0.0% (±0.1 points)
5 (tie)	Solvang	0.0% (±1.5 points)
5 (tie)	Los Alamos	0.0% (±7.5 points)
5 (tie)	Los Olivos	0.0% (±8.3 points)
5 (tie)	Mission Canyon	0.0% (±4.6 points)
5 (tie)	Mission Hills	0.0% (±3.4 points)
5 (tie)	Montecito	0.0% (±1.2 points)

Showing 13 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

What is the most common way to heat a home in Santa Barbara?

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Santa Barbara, used by 63.9% of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many homes in Santa Barbara heat with oil?

0.0% (±0.1 points) of occupied homes in Santa Barbara use fuel oil or kerosene as their main heating fuel.

How many homes in Santa Barbara have electric heat?

29.5% (±1.9 points) of occupied homes in Santa Barbara heat mainly with electricity, which includes heat pumps.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, 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 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.

DP04_0063PE, DP04_0063PM, DP04_0066PE, DP04_0066PM, DP04_0065PE, DP04_0065PM, DP04_0064PE, DP04_0064PM, DP04_0068PE, DP04_0068PM, DP04_0069PE, DP04_0069PM, DP04_0067PE, DP04_0067PM, DP04_0070PE, DP04_0070PM, DP04_0071PE, DP04_0071PM

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.