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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Santa Barbara, CA

Population: 88,640 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

C
53/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$12.3B
Per Capita
$139,120
Total Revenue
$4.5B
Total Debt
$72K

Spending Breakdown

Other
46.2%$5.7B
Utilities
19.0%$2.3B
Education
8.1%$993.9M
Police
7.8%$961.8M
Housing & Community Development
7.7%$955.5M
Fire Protection
5.1%$632.4M
Public Welfare
4.0%$499.4M
Parks & Recreation
1.5%$180.1M
Health
0.4%$46.7M
Sewerage
0.1%$10.7M
Interest on Debt
0.0%$2.0M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.1%$6.5M
Sales Tax
2.0%$91.0M
Income Tax
14.4%$649.4M
Charges & Fees
0.0%$22K
Other
63.2%$2.9B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$10,851/person
Fire Protection$7,135/person
Parks & Recreation$2,031/person
Education$11,213/person
Health$527/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)41/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)22/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$72K
Long-Term Debt$359.9M
Debt Per Capita$1
Cash & Securities$260.1M

Compare Cities

See how Santa Barbara stacks up against another city.

vs Los Angeles, CAvs San Diego, CAvs San Jose, CA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in California

Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Barbara, CA spends $139,120 per resident, based on total expenditures of $12.3B for a population of 88,640. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (53/100).

Santa Barbara, CA has total expenditures of $12.3B and total revenue of $4.5B. The city carries $72K in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Santa Barbara, CA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Santa Barbara, CA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (53/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.