Santa Barbara County comprises theSanta Maria-Santa Barbara, CAMetropolitan Statistical Area. Most of the county is part of theCalifornia Central Coast.[8] Mainstays of the county's economy include engineering, resource extraction (particularly petroleum extraction and diatomaceous earth mining), winemaking, agriculture, and education. The software development and tourism industries are important employers in the southern part of the county.
The Santa Barbara County area, including the NorthernChannel Islands, was first settled by Native Americans at least 13,000 years ago. Evidence for a Paleoindian presence has been found in the form of a flutedClovis-like point found in the 1980s along the western Santa Barbara Coast, as well as the remains ofArlington Springs Man found onSanta Rosa Island in the 1960s. For thousands of years, the area was home to theChumash tribe of Native Americans, complex hunter-gatherers who lived along the coast and in interior valleys leavingrock art in many locations, includingPainted Cave.
Europeans first contacted the Chumash in AD 1542, when three Spanish ships under the command ofJuan Rodríguez Cabrillo explored the area. TheSanta Barbara Channel received its name from Spanish explorerSebastián Vizcaíno when he sailed along the California coast in 1602; his ships entered the channel on December 4, the day of the feast ofSanta Barbara. Spanish ships associated with theManila Galleon trade probably made emergency stops along the coast during the next 167 years, but no permanent settlements were established.
The first landexpedition to explore California, led byGaspar de Portolà explored the coastal area in 1769, on its way toMonterey Bay. The party traveled the same route on the return to San Diego in January 1770. That same year, a second expedition to Monterey again passed through the area.[9] TheDeAnza expeditions of 1774–76 followed Portola's trail.
ThePresidio of Santa Barbara was established in 1782 (4th of 5 in California), followed byMission Santa Barbara in 1786 – both in what is now the city ofSanta Barbara. The presidio and mission kept Vizcaino's denomination, as did the later city and county – a common practice which has preserved the names of many of the 21California Missions. Other missions in Santa Barbara County are located in Santa Ynez and Lompoc.
European contacts had devastating effects on the Chumash people, including a series of disease epidemics that drastically reduced Chumash population. The Chumash survived, however, and thousands of Chumash descendants still live in the Santa Barbara area or surrounding counties. A tribal homeland was established in 1901, theSanta Ynez Reservation.[10]
Following theMexican secularization of the missions in the 1830s, the mission pasture lands were mostly broken up into largeranchos and granted mainly to prominent local citizens who already lived in the area.604 of these land grants were later confirmed by the state of California, with 36 in Santa Barbara County.[11]
Santa Barbara County was one of the 27 original counties of California, formed in 1850 at the time of statehood.[12] The county's territory was later divided to createVentura County in 1873.[13]
South Coast of Santa Barbara County, view looking northeast, showing, from left to right,Isla Vista,Goleta,Hope Ranch,Santa Barbara. All the mountains except for the most distant in the right rear are in Santa Barbara County.Coast of Santa Barbara and rugged back country. Courtesy:NASA Earth Explorer.[14]
North of the mountains is the arid and sparsely populatedCuyama Valley, portions of which are inSan Luis Obispo andVentura Counties. Oil production, ranching, and agriculture dominate the land use in the privately owned parts of the Cuyama Valley; the Los Padres National Forest is adjacent to the south, and regions to the north and northeast are owned by theBureau of Land Management and theNature Conservancy.
The fourChannel Islands in Santa Barbara County areSanta Barbara Island,San Miguel Island,Santa Rosa Island, and the largeSanta Cruz Island. All of them contain native and endemic wildlife, like the island oak and Torrey Pine. All four have the deer mouse living on them, the three latter, the island fox, and the two latter, the island spotted skunk. There used to be skunks on San Miguel Island, but due to predation from marine life, birds, and foxes, the San Miguel Island skunk has gone extinct.
Santa Barbara County has a mildwarm-summer Mediterranean climate.[18] Along the coast, temperatures rarely exceed 100 °F (38 °C) in the summer, but rarely dip below freezing in winter. In the interior, however, summertime temperatures can soar over 100 °F (38 °C). Above 2,000 feet (610 meters), temperatures can frequently fall below freezing during the winter months. The area experiences nearly all of its rainfall during the winter months, and rarely sees any rain at all during the summer months.
The area's dry, warm summers often lead to high wildfire danger in the fall. An example of this is the massiveThomas Fire, which started in Ventura County and rapidly spread into southern Santa Barbara County in December 2017. At the time, the fire was the largest wildfire ever to burn in California in terms of geographical size, but was topped only eight months later in theMendocino Complex Fire in northern California. Heavy rainfall occurred the following January, causing massive mudslides and debris flows from the steep, fire-denuded hillsides. The community of Montecito was especially hard-hit. As of February 3, 2018, 21 are known dead and 2 are still missing.[19]
Air quality in the county, unlike much of southern California, is generally good because of the prevailing winds off of the Pacific Ocean. The county is in attainment of federal standards forozone andparticulate matter. In July 2020 the county was designated as attainment for the state ozone standard, but it still does not attain the state PM10 standard.[20] the county's location plus the cities near it establishes the area's climate and meteorology influence how the pollution are diffused.
Santa Barbara County, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The2010 United States census reported that Santa Barbara County had a population of 423,895. The ethnic makeup of Santa Barbara County was 295,124 (69.6%)White, 8,513 (2.0%)African American, 5,485 (1.3%)Native American, 20,665 (4.9%)Asian (1.6% Filipino, 1.0% Chinese, 0.5% Japanese, 0.5% Korean, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.4% Indian), 806 (0.2%)Pacific Islander, 73,860 (17.4%) fromother races, and 19,442 (4.6%) from two or more races. There were 181,687 residents ofHispanic orLatino origin, of any race (42.9%); 38.5% of the population was of Mexican heritage, 0.4% Salvadoran, 0.4% Guatemalan, and 0.3% Puerto Rican descent.[42]
As of the census[43] of 2000, there were 399,347 people, 136,622 households, and 89,487 families residing in the county. The population density was 146 people per square mile (56 people/km2). There were 142,901 housing units at an average density of 52 units per square mile (20 units/km2). The ethnic makeup of the county was 72.7%White, 2.3%Black orAfrican American, 1.2%Native American, 4.1%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 15.2% fromother races, and 4.3% from two or more races. 34.2% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 9.1% were ofGerman, 8.5% English and 6.5% Irish ancestry according toCensus 2000. 26.6% of the population reported speaking Spanish at home.[44]
There were 136,622 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.8 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the county, 24.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 13.3% was from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,677, and the median income for a family was $54,042. Males had a median income of $37,997 versus $29,593 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,059. About 8.5% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
The population of the area south of the Santa Ynez Mountain crest—the portion known as "South County"—was 201,161 according to the 2000 census; thus the population is almost exactly split between north and south. Recent years have shown slow or even negative growth for regions in the south county, while areas in the north county have continued to grow at a faster rate.
The county is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. The Board's three-vote majority has shifted over the years between the north and south. The Board now includes two members from South County, two members from North County, and one member from Mid-County.
The Board of Supervisors appoints a County Executive Officer, who serves at the pleasure of the Board, to operate the County governmental organization. The County government includes 4296 employees and a budget of $757 million. The County provides various services ranging from health services to law enforcement.
All of Santa Barbara County is located withinCalifornia's 24th congressional district, represented byDemocratSalud Carbajal.[45] Prior to the 2012 redistricting in California, the county was divided into two congressional districts, which reflected the north and south divide – the hallmark of the county's politics.Lois Capps represented the coastal areas, whileElton Gallegly, a Republican, represented the northern part of the county.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff provides court protection, jail management, and coroner service for the entire county. It provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county and two cities by contract. Incorporated municipalities within the county that have their own municipal police departments are Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Santa Barbara City. Carpinteria and Goleta by contract with the Sheriff.
The Santa Barbara County Probation Department provides services for those placed on probation or detained in Santa Maria Juvenile Hall or Los Prietos Boys Camp. Tanja Heitman is the currentchief probation officer. The department was established in 1909 following the enactment of California's first probation laws. After 106 years in service, there are currently 241probation officers and juvenile institutions officers keeping tabs on 6,600 adults and 1,350juveniles as of 2015. The probation department has locations inSanta Maria,Santa Barbara, andLompoc.[46]
For most of the 20th century, Santa Barbara County was a Republican stronghold. From 1920 to 1988, it was only carried by two Democrats:Franklin D. Roosevelt andLyndon B. Johnson. However, the county has leaned to the left in recent years. Overall, Santa Barbara now usually supports Democratic candidates inPresidential andcongressional elections. The last Republican to win a majority in the county wasGeorge H. W. Bush in1988. There remains a distinction between the more conservative northern areas of the county, which continue to largely support Republicans, and the more liberal southern areas, which are strongly Democratic.
United States presidential election results for Santa Barbara County, California[47]
Santa Barbara County has long been divided between competing political interests. North of theSanta Ynez Mountains, agricultural activities and oil development have long provided jobs. The northern portion also contains a large military base,Vandenberg Space Force Base, and thus military interests are prominent. These influences have created a Republican-leaning northern half.
The southern portion of Santa Barbara county has had an economy based on tourism, with a significant percentage of people with white-collar jobs, formerly in aerospace but more recently in software and other high-tech pursuits. Additionally, theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara contributes to a liberal populace. The southern portion of the county has a strong history of left-wing activism, with anti-war protests common in Santa Barbara. It is generally believed that the inspiration forEarth Day was the1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.Gaylord Nelson, thesenator who proposed the idea, has never directly cited any direct cause for the establishment of the holiday.[48]
On November 4, 2008, Santa Barbara County voted 53.5% againstProposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. It was the only county in Southern California to vote against the proposition.[49]
In 1978, some residents of the northern area initiated an effort to create a "Los Padres County" out of the northern area of the county; in a referendum, this effort was defeated by a 3–1 margin.[50]
In 2006, northern county organizations initiated a similar secession proposal, to create a proposed "Mission County." Then-GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger appointed a formation commission to research the viability of the proposed northern county, which reached the conclusion, stated in its final report released on March 28, 2005, that "the proposed County, upon formation in 2006, would not be economically viable at current levels of service."[51] The proposed new Mission County would have included the cities of Santa Maria, Lompoc, Guadalupe, Buellton, and Solvang, as well as the Cuyama Valley and Santa Ynez Valley, includingLake Cachuma. Most of the south coast of Santa Barbara County, along with the Channel Islands, would have remained with that county, with the exception of the stretch fromHollister Ranch toPoint Conception. Most of the Los Padres National Forest also would have remained with Santa Barbara County.[52] But in June 2006, voters rejected the formation of the new county, with more than 80% voting no.[53]
46.8% of Santa Barbara County voters state their political party preference is Democratic, compared to 24.9% who prefer Republicans, and 21.6% who have No Party Preference. As of 2021, each of the 8 cities have more Democrats than any other political party.[54]
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement for theunincorporated areas of the county, as well as several cities within the county. Thecities that the Sheriff's Office provides police services for includeBuellton,Carpinteria,Goleta andSolvang.[59] In total the 640 full-time employees of the Sheriff's Office are responsible for 2,745 square miles (7,110 km2) of the county.[60]
Founded in 1850, the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office is the oldest law enforcement agency in the state.[56]
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.
Oil production began in 1886 with drilling in Summerland.[64] Enormous oil fields such as theOrcutt,Lompoc, Santa Maria Valley, andCat Canyon fields provided jobs and a steady supply of oil, gas, and asphalt since the first oil discovery in the Solomon Hills in 1901.Protests have marked periodic resistance to the impact of oil drilling over the years. A protest in 1929 in Santa Barbara expressed the frustration of the wealthy who came here to get away from it all. Thelargest spill in California waters, credited as a spark for the modern environmental movement, coated the beaches and Santa Barbara Harbor with a thick crude in 1969. In recent years, major oil companies have left the area, turning over their oil leases to small independents, and decommissioning some leases areas that were no longer profitable. Concerns about the economy were foremost when, in 2014, Measure P was placed on the county ballot. If approve by the voters the measure would ban "high-intensity petroleum operations" in the county.[64]
The city of Santa Barbara and other coastal communities support a significant tourism economy. White-collar jobs, previously with an emphasis in aerospace but more recently in software and other high-tech pursuits are encouraged by proximity to theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara.Vandenberg Space Force Base has traditionally had a large economic impact in the northern portion of the county and continues to be the site of frequent satellite launches.
Agriculture is a major industry. Strawberries are the county's top crop, with $413 million in production making up more than a third of all county agricultural production. Wine grapes are typically number two.[65] In 2022, cauliflower was number two due to the weather and popularity ofcauliflower rice.[66]
The first wine grapes inSanta Barbara county were planted by the missionaries associated withMission Santa Barbara late in the 18th century. Since commercial viticulture rebounded in the 1960s, Santa Barbara County has become a prominentviticultural region. The 2004Alexander Payne film,Sideways, set in theSanta Ynez Valley, brought additional attention to the county as a wine region, especially for itsPinot noir wines.
The region, also noted for itsChardonnay wines, is gaining a reputation forRhone varietals includingSyrah andViognier.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are common all long the trail while the southern part also has many Rhone style wines due to the warmer climate. In the North,Burgundy styles tend to predominate more due to the coolermaritime weather.[73]
The county limited retail sales to eight establishments that will be distributed so they don't become clustered in any of the unincorporated communities.[74] Under the legalization of recreational cannabis in California, companies must be licensed by the local agency and the state to grow, test, or sell cannabis and the county may authorize none or only some of these activities. Local governments may not prohibit adults, who are in compliance with state laws, from growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use.
In the first four months of the legalization of growing cannabis for recreational purposes in California, the county issued almost 800 permits for cultivators, the most of any county in the state.[75][76][77][78] Taxes are based on the value of the crop sold whereas all other counties in California use the acreage of the farm.[79]
The Carpinteria Valley became the densest concentration of cannabis farms in the United States in 2019.[80] Farmers combined small permits for neighboring plots of land though as licenses for over 1 acre of land were not allowed until 2023.[81] Most of these growing operations are in greenhouses.[82] The owners of many greenhouses in the Carpinteria Valley, that were built as nurseries for flowers and other plants, have converted them to growing cannabis.[83][82][84]
While the grow operations are outside the city limits of Carpinteria, city residents have complained about the smell of odor-intenseterpenes given off by cannabis plants. The county contracts with a privateindustrial hygienist to ensure odor pollution is not occurring.[85][86] The Sheriff's Department has a Cannabis Compliance Team that conducts background checks on cannabis growers and their employees and carries out raids on illegal operations.[87]
A report in 2022 to the Board of Supervisors had 79 cannabis operations operating in the county.[88] The county has a 1,575-acre cap (637 ha) on outdoor cannabis.[89]
There are 20[90] independent school districts in Santa Barbara County, and the Santa Barbara County Education Office[91] serves as an intermediate agency between those districts and the California Department of Education.[92] During the 2013 school year, 67,701 students were enrolled in Santa Barbara County schools, kindergarten through grade 12.
There are also a number of private schools in the county. TheLos Angeles Archdiocese operates two Catholic high schools and several elementary schools.
The museums reflecting the city's rich cultural heritage and contemporary artistic scene. Notable among these is theSanta Barbara Museum of Art, which boasts an extensive collection of American, Asian, and European art.[94] The Museum of Natural History[95] offers immersive exhibits on regional wildlife and environments, along with a state-of-the-art planetarium. TheSanta Barbara Historical Museum provides deep insights into the city's past with its extensive archives and artifacts.[96]
Santa Barbara County is served byAmtrak trains andGreyhound buses.The southern portion of the county is served by theSanta Barbara Metropolitan Transit District.In the North County, the cities of Lompoc, Santa Maria, and Buellton/Solvang have their own bus services.
^"2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012.Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. RetrievedOctober 4, 2015.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301.U.S. Census websiteArchived July 9, 2021, at theWayback Machine. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013.U.S. Census websiteArchived July 9, 2021, at theWayback Machine. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113.U.S. Census websiteArchived July 9, 2021, at theWayback Machine. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.U.S. Census websiteArchived July 9, 2021, at theWayback Machine. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003.U.S. Census websiteArchived July 9, 2021, at theWayback Machine. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003.U.S. Census websiteArchived July 9, 2021, at theWayback Machine. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^ab"History". Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. RetrievedJanuary 7, 2014.
^ab"Sheriff Budget 12-13"(PDF).County of Santa Barbara Operating Plan 2012-13 Recommended Budget. Board of Supervisors. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on October 15, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 7, 2014.
^"Sheriff Budget 13-14"(PDF).County of Santa Barbara Operating Plan 2013-14 Recommended Budget. Board of Supervisors. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on August 7, 2013. RetrievedJanuary 10, 2014.
^Wineries Near Los Alamos, Santa Maria and Los Olivos."Foxen Canyon Wine Trail". Experience Wine Country.Boghossian, Victor."Foxen Canyon Wine Trail". Foxen Canyon Wine Trail.Archived from the original on September 21, 2011. RetrievedAugust 26, 2011.
Charles Montville Gidney, Benjamin Brooks, and Edwin M. Sheridan,History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California. In Two Volumes. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1917.Volume 1 |Volume 2
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