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Why Move to Santa Barbara?
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Our Climate, Beaches, and Mountains
- Santa Barbara’s climate is widely praised by locals and visitors for its year-round Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters. The temperature typically varies from 42°F to 77°F.
- Most popularly visited for its beautiful beaches such as East Beach, Leadbetter Beach, Arroyo Burro Beach, and Butterfly Beach. Santa Barbara’s beaches are perfect for surfing, kayaking, bike riding, and relaxation.
- Santa Barbara has breathtaking mountain views which you can enjoy from places like Franceschi’s Park, Skofield Park, Rattlesnake Canyon Trail, Inspiration Point, and Lizard’s Mouth Rock among many more.
- Hiking trails in Santa Barbara and surrounding areas feature some amazing views and combine both mountain and seascapes.
Sustainable Living
- Santa Barbara has a commitment to sustainability and an awareness for why it is a need in the community.
- UCSB has been recognized for being one of the nation’s top 50 “green schools” and for being a “bike friendly university.”
- Santa Barbara hosts a weekly farmer’s market in the downtown area where Santa Barbara residents can purchase locally grown produce which in turn reduces our carbon footprint.
- Santa Barbara Officials have worked hard to implement alternative transportation such as constructing more bike path lanes in the community, providing electric charging stations in downtown parking, and incorporating hybrid and all-electric buses for public transportation.
Education
- Santa Barbara has a phenomenal reputation for providing quality education and is recognized for its continuous efforts to make higher education more accessible.
- Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) has been ranked the #1 Community College in the nation.
- SBCC’s Promise Program provides all local high school graduates with the opportunity to continue their education full-time and free of charge for up to two years.
- In 2023, Forbes Magazine ranked the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), as the 5th public university in the country.
- UCSB offers more than 200 majors, degrees, and credentials and more than 50 graduate programs.
- The University of California, Santa Barbara also encourages the continuation of education for its employees through its ⅔ reduction fee program, and UCSB’s Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE) offers 25% off to its employees and 15% off to eligible family members.
Small and Historical Town
- Santa Barbara has remained small and cozy with a population rate of 85,744 (2024).
- The town is 42 square miles, making it easy to navigate.
- The City of Santa Barbara has long been committed to preserving its Spanish Colonial Architecture which can be seen and admired all around the downtown area.
- Some historical landmarks include the Santa Barbara Courthouse, Santa Barbara Mission, and El Presidio.
- Santa Barbara takes pride in celebrating Spanish heritage by hosting “Old Spanish Days” every year in August. This is a week-long event in which members of our community come together to celebrate Santa Barbara’s history in many creative ways.
UCSB is the Best Place to Work for
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