Census-designated place · California
Ballard, California
Ballard, census-designated place, in Santa Barbara County, California. Ballard had 768 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 863 (±298). GEOID 0603694.
Residents, 2020 Census
768
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 863 ±298
Median household income
$140,833
±$75,686 (90% margin)
California: $99,122
Median home value
$1,742,200
±$835,510 (90% margin)
California: $734,700
Median gross rent
$2,563
±$1,715 (90% margin)
California: $2,036
Where is Ballard and what county is it in?
Ballard is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Santa Barbara County, California. It covers 2.8 square miles of land, 275 residents per square mile in 2020.
Ballard is in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Ballard, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 768 residents in Ballard, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 863 (±298).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Ballard is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Ballard | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 863 ±298 | 443,701 | no clear change |
| Households | 280 ±69 | 149,608 | +111 |
| Average household size | 3.08 ±0.70 | 2.81 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 321 ±72 | 160,592 | +134 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Ballard?
The median resident of Ballard is 42.3 years old; 27.6% are under 18 and 29.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 81.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.6%. 12.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Ballard | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.3 ±12.8 | 34.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 27.6% ±13.3 pts | 22.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 29.7% ±12.1 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Male | 49.7% ±6.9 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.6% ±5.9 pts | 48.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 81.3% ±8.3 pts | 40.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±3.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.1% ±4.2 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 12.9% ±8.2 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 20.0% ±10.9 pts | 40.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.8% ±4.6 pts | 4.6% | – |
| With a disability | 10.4% ±5.6 pts | 11.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.9% ±1.2 pts | 8.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.8% ±6.2 pts | 81.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 53.0% ±11.3 pts | 36.8% | +23.5 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 30.6% ±10.7 pts | 14.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 80.5% ±20.0 pts | 84.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±1.4 pts | 1.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Ballard earn?
Half of Ballard's 280 households earn less than $140,833 a year (±$75,686), against $98,161 in Santa Barbara County and $99,122 in California. In 2015-2019 it was $153,068 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Ballard | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $140,833 ±$75,686 | $98,161 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $230,559 ±$84,904 | $140,893 | – |
| Per capita income | $71,718 ±$19,958 | $48,028 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.2% ±8.3 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.0% ±16.3 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.0% ±10.1 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 87.1% ±10.9 pts | 96.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.6% ±10.9 pts | 92.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Ballard?
Owners occupy 73.2% of Ballard's occupied homes and renters 26.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $1,742,200 by its owner (±$835,510).
| Measure | Ballard | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $1,742,200 ±$835,510 | $790,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $2,563 ±$1,715 | $2,131 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 49.2% ±32.1 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $4,000 or more | $2,973 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 73.2% ±11.8 pts | 52.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 26.8% ±11.8 pts | 47.6% | – |
| Housing units | 321 ±72 | 160,592 | +134 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.4% ±2.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±39.2 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 92.8% ±6.9 pts | 56.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.7% ±5.6 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±12.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.0% ±6.6 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.4% ±5.6 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.6% ±6.0 pts | 5.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Ballard work and get to work?
46.3% of Ballard's workers drive alone and 35.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 38.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 9.5%.
| Measure | Ballard | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 53.6% ±15.7 pts | 62.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.5% ±5.3 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 46.3% ±9.8 pts | 64.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.4% ±4.8 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±12.7 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Walked | 3.2% ±4.1 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 35.1% ±9.9 pts | 13.4% | +18.9 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 38.5 min ±18.9 | 20.8 min | +22.9 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Ballard?
No census tract lies mostly in Ballard; 3 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 19.09Santa Barbara County | 3,870 | $116,827 |
| Tract 19.05Santa Barbara County | 3,108 | $144,655 |
| Tract 19.08Santa Barbara County | 5,087 | $111,023 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Ballard) · Census block assignment files
How does Ballard compare with other places in California?
Ballard is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
Ballard's figures with every place in California (CSV)
Every place in California, sortable · Compare Ballard with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Ballard?
22 of the 57 figures for Ballard on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Ballard are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.