Santa Barbara, California

Alternative meaning: Santa Barbara (soap opera)
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 92,325. Mission Santa Barbara, "The Queen of the Missions," is located in Santa Barbara. It was founded on December 4, 1786, and the city built up near the mission. A Spanish Presidio was also founded at the city. The city sustained heavy damage in an earthquake of June 29 1925 which was followed by substantial rebuilding. Santa Barbara is now a largely affluent city and is popular as a tourist destination and celebrity hideaway. The Santa Barbara campus of the University of California is located next to nearby Isla Vista. The Rafael Gonzalez House, an adobe building, and the Santa Barbara Mission are national Historic Landmarks. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden contains a diverse collection of plants from around California; it is located in Mission Canyon directly north of the city. The Santa Barbara Airport offers commercial air service. High-end shopping is very abundant given the size of the city, with department stores such as Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue present.

Geography

Santa Barbara is located at 34°25'33" North, 119°42'51" West (34.425804, -119.714189). The city is about 85 miles northwest of Los Angeles, along the Pacific coast. This stretch of coast along southern Santa Barbara County is often referred to as the "American Riviera" because of its Mediterranean climate. The Santa Ynez Mountains rise dramatically behind the city, with several peaks exceeding 4,000 feet. Covered with chaparral and with sandstone outcrops, they make a famously scenic backdrop to the town. Nearer to town, and directly east and adjacent to Mission Santa Barbara, is a hill known locally as the "Riviera," which is built up with expensive homes. Much of the architecture in the city is Spanish in style, in keeping with the Spanish heritage of the city: white buildings with tile roofs are a trademark sight. The city has enacted strict ordinances to prevent erosion of this image, with some success. For example, there are no billboards anywhere in town, and none at all on the main freeway leading out of town for almost twenty miles; in addition there is a strict sign ordinance for businesses, with no excessively large lettering allowed. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 107.3 km² (41.4 mi²). 49.2 km² (19.0 mi²) of it is land and 58.1 km² (22.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 54.17% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 92,325 people, 35,605 households, and 18,941 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,878.1/km² (4,865.3/mi²). There are 37,076 housing units at an average density of 754.2/km² (1,953.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 74.04% White, 1.77% African American, 1.07% Native American, 2.77% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 16.37% from other races, and 3.85% from two or more races. 35.02% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 35,605 households out of which 24.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% are married couples living together, 9.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 46.8% are non-families. 32.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 3.17. In the city the population is spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.0 males. The median income for a household in the city is $47,498, and the median income for a family is $57,880. Males have a median income of $37,116 versus $31,911 for females. The per capita income for the city is $26,466. 13.4% of the population and 7.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.8% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. If one compares the per capita income to the actual cost of living, the number of people living below the poverty line is considerably higher. In 2002, the cost of buying a 2200 ft² (200 m²), 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house could easily reach $2,000,000. Rents for a 1100 ft² (100 m²), 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment were in the $2000-$2200 per month range. In June 2004, the median home price passed $1,000,000 for the first time. Santa Barbara also has traditionally (since the 1930s) had a large homeless population, due in part to the mild climate. The daily newspaper is the Santa Barbara News-Press, which has a circulation of about 45,000. Other local print media include the Santa Barbara Independent and the South Coast Beacon.

Nearby Communities

Famous residents

Santa Barbara is the birthplace of: Santa Barbara is the home of:

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