Residential comparison · 13 facts
Santa Barbara, CA vs Thousand Oaks, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Santa Barbara needs about $88,000 in Thousand Oaks to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Thousand Oaks, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $82,000 in Santa Barbara.
A few differences
- Thousand Oaks is higher on median household income ($135,603 vs $106,182).
- Thousand Oaks is lower on cost of living index (159 vs 194).
- Thousand Oaks is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($2,595/mo vs $2,772/mo).
Santa Barbara vs Thousand Oaks · facet by facet
| Facet | Santa Barbara, CA | Thousand Oaks, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,570,800 | $991,600 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,772/mo | $2,595/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 194 | 159 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $106,182 | $135,603 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Santa Barbara, CA · Thousand Oaks, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Santa Barbara cheaper than Thousand Oaks?
- Thousand Oaks has the lower day-to-day cost index (159 vs 194 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Thousand Oaks equals $85,000 in Santa Barbara?
- A household earning $85,000 in Santa Barbara needs about $88,000 in Thousand Oaks to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Thousand Oaks lifestyle costs about $82,000 in Santa Barbara.