Census tract · Santa Barbara County
Census Tract 29.26, Santa Barbara County, California
Census Tract 29.26, GEOID 06083002926, in Santa Barbara County, California, entirely within Isla Vista. 4,694 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±687); the 2020 Census counted 5,492.
Residents, 2020-2024
4,694
±687 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,492
Median household income
$22,722
±$7,881 (90% margin)
Santa Barbara County: $98,161
Median home value
not published
Santa Barbara County: $790,700
Median gross rent
$1,808
±$89 (90% margin)
Santa Barbara County: $2,131
Where is Census Tract 29.26?
Census Tract 29.26 is one of 109 census tracts in Santa Barbara County, California. It covers 0.13 square miles of land, 42,574 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 06083002926, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Isla Vista | 100% |
4 census tracts border Census Tract 29.26: Tract 29.24 ($25,167), Tract 29.33 ($125,814), Tract 29.36 ($45,867) and Tract 9803*. The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income; * a special land-use tract (water, a park or an institution) with few or no residents.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 29.26?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 29.26's population at 4,694 (±687) in 1,857 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,492 residents and 1,771 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 29.26 | Isla Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,694 ±687 | 13,920 |
| Households | 1,857 ±230 | 4,763 |
| Average household size | 2.35 ±0.24 | 2.52 |
| Housing units | 2,137 ±236 | 5,323 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 29.26?
The median resident of Census Tract 29.26 is 21.3 years old; 3.1% are under 18 and 6.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 57.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 19.6%. 8.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 29.26 | Isla Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.3 ±0.4 | 21.2 |
| Under 18 years | 3.1% ±1.7 pts | 1.8% |
| 65 years and over | 6.2% ±2.5 pts | 2.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 19.6% ±6.4 pts | 20.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 57.8% ±6.8 pts | 54.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±2.6 pts | 4.6% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 14.4% ±4.1 pts | 15.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.5 pts | 0.2% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.9% ±1.9 pts | 4.4% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 0.2% |
| Born outside the United States | 8.5% ±3.5 pts | 10.2% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 29.3% ±6.5 pts | 27.1% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 0.4% |
| With a disability | 10.8% ±2.6 pts | 8.6% |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.8% ±1.9 pts | 4.6% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.8% ±8.1 pts | 91.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 43.5% ±11.9 pts | 43.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 17.7% ±9.2 pts | 22.4% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 44.2% ±8.3 pts | 32.7% |
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 Census Tract 29.26 earn?
Half of the 1,857 households in Census Tract 29.26 earn less than $22,722 a year (±$7,881), against $98,161 across Santa Barbara County: 103rd highest of the county's 103 tracts with a reliable estimate. 75.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 29.26 | Isla Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $22,722 ±$7,881 | $25,972 |
| Mean household income | $31,717 ±$4,671 | $39,145 |
| Per capita income | $11,933 ±$2,174 | $14,110 |
| People below the poverty line | 75.2% ±6.0 pts | 70.4% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.7% ±22.9 pts | 6.8% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 36.0% ±8.7 pts | 32.2% |
| Households with a computer | 97.4% ±2.2 pts | 98.6% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.3% ±4.5 pts | 88.7% |
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 Census Tract 29.26?
The median renter pays $1,808 a month including utilities, and 90.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 29.26 | Isla Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,808 ±$89 | $1,878 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 90.7% ±4.4 pts | 83.9% |
| Owner-occupied homes | 0.8% ±1.0 pts | 1.2% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 99.2% ±1.0 pts | 98.8% |
| Housing units | 2,137 ±236 | 5,323 |
| Single-family detached homes | 4.4% ±2.7 pts | 6.3% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.0% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.3% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.0% ±3.8 pts | 7.6% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.5% ±1.0 pts | 1.4% |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.6% ±4.5 pts | 14.6% |
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 Census Tract 29.26 get to work?
56.4% of Census Tract 29.26's workers drive alone and 6.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 15.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 15.8%.
| Measure | Tract 29.26 | Isla Vista |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 49.7% ±9.5 pts | 59.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 15.8% ±5.8 pts | 17.4% |
| Drove alone to work | 56.4% ±10.3 pts | 50.0% |
| Carpooled | 5.8% ±3.6 pts | 3.2% |
| Public transportation | 1.5% ±1.5 pts | 2.8% |
| Walked | 5.2% ±3.1 pts | 19.3% |
| Worked from home | 6.6% ±4.0 pts | 9.4% |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.7 min ±2.1 | 15.6 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
How does Census Tract 29.26 compare with the other tracts in Santa Barbara County?
Among Santa Barbara County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 29.26 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Santa Barbara County | In Isla Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 40th of 106 | 2nd of 3 |
| Residents per square mile | 1st of 108 | 1st of 3 |
| Median household income | 103rd of 103 | 3rd of 3 |
| Per capita income | 104th of 106 | 3rd of 3 |
| Median gross rent | 82nd of 103 | 2nd of 3 |
| Poverty rate | 1st of 76 | 1st of 3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43rd of 100 | 2nd of 3 |
| Median age | 101st of 106 | 2nd of 3 |
The tracts next to it on Santa Barbara County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 24.07 | 100th | $45,676±$6,992 |
| Tract 27.05 | 101st | $42,179±$10,315 |
| Tract 29.24 | 102nd | $25,167±$12,624 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 29.26 | 103rd | $22,722±$7,881 |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 29.26?
2 of the 17 figures for Census Tract 29.26 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections