The Pros of Living In Santa Barbara

Let's take a look at why people love to live in Santa Barbara, CA. There are a bunch!

Weather: Santa Barbara, CA is known for its near-perfect weather. Daytime temps are usually in the 60s to 70s. If you like the idea of zero snow and 300+ sunny days a year, you will be a happy camper here.

Outdoor Lifestyle: The beaches and harbor are the first things people gravitate towards. We have excellent water sports such as surfing, sailing, paddle boarding, kite surfing, fishing, and more.

However, that is just the beginning. Our mountains offer exceptional hiking and mountain biking... plus they are beautiful.

Biking is another strong point as SB is among the top places in America for bike trails and dedicated bike lanes.

Downtown & State Street: Not too many towns in the US have a place like State Street. With dozens of restaurants, bars, wine tasting places, theaters and shops,

State Street is a happening place. Since Covid hit, it has also become a pedestrian-only zone for several blocks. This means lots of outdoor dining and people watching too.

Architecture: The City of Santa Barbara goes to great lengths to keep our Spanish heritage via building design. Unlike the mishmash that is LA, Santa Barbara has a sweet vibe.

The Arts: Not too many small towns can boast about the commitment to the arts that Santa Barbara has. We have several great venues that feature great artists, concerts, lectures and more. We have our own symphony and ballet too.

Education: Santa Barbara is home to many nationally renowned universities including UC Santa Barbara, Westmont College and more. Many of these institutions offer residents classes and outstanding lectures.

In Conclusion about the pros, Santa Barbara offers people of all persuasions an incredible lifestyle from outdoor sports/activites to culture and the arts. It is really quite amazing a town of 80,000 offers so much.

The Cons of Living In Santa Barbara, CA

It's a Small Town: For some, it is too small of a town. There isn't the energy of Manhatten or Santa Monica or downtown San Francisco. If you want a late-night party life, Santa Barbara may be a bit too docile for you. Then again, LA is just an hour or so away.

Expensive: May as well get this elephant in the room out in the light. Living in what many call America's greatest town, comes with a price. Homes and apartments aren't cheap. Besides housing costs, California gas prices are high too.

Homelessness: Like everywhere in America these days, homelessness is a problem in Santa Barbara.

Traffic: Most of the time it is easy to get around town. However, if you need to take the freeway north or south, expect traffic. This is especially true from 3:30 to 6:00 pm.

The Bottom Line

No city or town is perfect but Santa Barbara comes darn close. Between the amazing climate, loads of things to do, beaches and culture, Santa Barbara is hard to beat.

If you have questions, know we are here for you. We've been helping people find and sell homes in the area for over 20 years. We know and love our town and delight in sharing it with others.