Census-designated place · California
Santa Ynez, California
Santa Ynez, census-designated place, in Santa Barbara County, California. Santa Ynez had 4,505 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,467 (±878). GEOID 0670182.
Residents, 2020 Census
4,505
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 4,467 ±878
Median household income
$110,781
±$24,650 (90% margin)
California: $99,122
Median home value
$1,163,000
±$76,529 (90% margin)
California: $734,700
Median gross rent
$1,969
±$1,359 (90% margin)
California: $2,036
Where is Santa Ynez and what county is it in?
Santa Ynez 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 4.8 square miles of land, 933 residents per square mile in 2020.
Santa Ynez 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 Santa Ynez, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 4,505 residents in Santa Ynez, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 4,467 (±878).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Santa Ynez is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Santa Ynez | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,467 ±878 | 443,701 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,593 ±220 | 149,608 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.78 ±0.39 | 2.81 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,852 ±218 | 160,592 | no clear change |
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 Santa Ynez?
The median resident of Santa Ynez is 37.8 years old; 19.3% are under 18 and 23.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 75.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 19.8%.
| Measure | Santa Ynez | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.8 ±10.0 | 34.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.3% ±5.7 pts | 22.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 23.8% ±6.7 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Male | 50.5% ±5.4 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 19.8% ±8.7 pts | 48.2% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 75.9% ±8.9 pts | 40.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±2.1 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 11.0% ±7.9 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 16.1% ±8.9 pts | 40.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.1% ±2.5 pts | 4.6% | – |
| With a disability | 17.1% ±5.6 pts | 11.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 9.8% ±6.5 pts | 8.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.5% ±5.4 pts | 81.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 33.4% ±8.1 pts | 36.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.4% ±4.8 pts | 14.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.6% ±4.9 pts | 84.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±0.1 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 Santa Ynez earn?
Half of Santa Ynez's 1,593 households earn less than $110,781 a year (±$24,650), against $98,161 in Santa Barbara County and $99,122 in California. In 2015-2019 it was $132,408 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Santa Ynez | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $110,781 ±$24,650 | $98,161 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $171,188 ±$37,064 | $140,893 | – |
| Per capita income | $60,997 ±$13,802 | $48,028 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 13.0% ±6.4 pts | 14.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.3% ±12.3 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.5% ±2.6 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.1% ±5.8 pts | 96.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.5% ±5.8 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 Santa Ynez?
Owners occupy 64.9% of Santa Ynez's occupied homes and renters 35.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $1,163,000 by its owner (±$76,529).
| Measure | Santa Ynez | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $1,163,000 ±$76,529 | $790,700 | +$111,618 |
| Median gross rent | $1,969 ±$1,359 | $2,131 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 47.1% ±24.2 pts | 49.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $4,000 or more | $2,973 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 64.9% ±10.9 pts | 52.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 35.1% ±10.9 pts | 47.6% | – |
| Housing units | 1,852 ±218 | 160,592 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.8% ±14.2 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.1% ±7.2 pts | 56.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.3% ±5.0 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 13.8% ±7.0 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.5% ±1.6 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.8% ±5.8 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 Santa Ynez work and get to work?
74.7% of Santa Ynez's workers drive alone and 19.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 26.9 minutes.
| Measure | Santa Ynez | Santa Barbara County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.7% ±7.0 pts | 62.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 74.7% ±10.6 pts | 64.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.5% ±3.7 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.5% ±1.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 19.9% ±10.0 pts | 13.4% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.9 min ±5.2 | 20.8 min | no clear change |
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 Santa Ynez?
1 census tract lies mostly in Santa Ynez (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Santa Ynez) · Census block assignment files
How does Santa Ynez compare with other places in California?
Santa Ynez ranks 351st of 1,037 places in California with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 686th | 1,076 |
| Residents per square mile | 761st | 1,077 |
| Median household income | 351st | 1,037 |
| Per capita income | 262nd | 1,073 |
| Median home value | 165th | 1,054 |
| Poverty rate | 335th | 836 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 449th | 988 |
| Median age | 641st | 1,075 |
| Owner-occupied share | 560th | 1,064 |
| Work from home | 300th | 822 |
| Travel time to work | 597th | 1,069 |
Santa Ynez's figures with every place in California (CSV)
Every place in California, sortable · Compare Santa Ynez 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 Santa Ynez?
22 of the 57 figures for Santa Ynez 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 Santa Ynez 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.