COUNTY REPORT CA

Santa Barbara County, California

40 ZIP codes · Avg score 57/100 · Grade C · Updated

ZipCheckup grade for Santa Barbara County: C.

A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.

Water safety in Santa Barbara County is uneven - some of its 40 ZIP codes meet standards cleanly while others carry documented violations.

How Santa Barbara County Compares

Santa Barbara County57/100
California avg76/100
National avg73/100

How Santa Barbara County Compares

C
County Grade
57/100
Avg Safety Score
40
ZIP Codes
31
Water Systems

Santa Barbara County scores 19 points below the California state average (76/100) and 16 points below the national average (73/100).

Data: ZipCheckup Home Safety Score model 4.0.0; EPA SDWIS, UCMR 5, EPA radon zones, EPA AirData Last verified:

C
County Grade
57
Avg Safety Score
40
ZIP Codes
Best ZIP: 93013 (58/100)
Lowest ZIP: 93455 (43/100)
$1075K
Median Home Value
$2,045
Avg Remediation (19% of home value)

ZIP Code Risk Map

Water Quality Map: Santa Barbara County, California

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Key Risk Factors

Health risk index: 10.9 (asthma 9.7%, diabetes 10.8%)

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $2,034, driven primarily by flood

69.6% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)

Violation History (2021–2025)

→ Stable trend

EPA violation counts by year across Santa Barbara County water systems. Health-based shown in red, total in blue.

2021
7 (7 health)
2022
10 (10 health)
2023
2 (2 health)
2024
8 (8 health)
2025
6 (6 health)

Peak year: 2022 with 10 violations. Past 5 years: 33 total (33 health-based).

Source: EPA SDWIS historical violations. Data may lag 6–12 months for the most recent year.

County Health Indicators vs National Average

Asthma 9.7% (national: 8.9%)
Diabetes 10.8% (national: 10.5%)
Obesity 26.1% (national: 32.4%)

Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Infrastructure Overview

1975
Median Build Year
69.6%
Pre-1978 Housing
36/100
Infrastructure Stress Indicator
31%
ZIPs with High Infrastructure Stress
High
Lead Pipe Risk

Modeled area-level indicator, not a failure probability. Sources: Census ACS housing age, EPA DWINS infrastructure needs, EPA SDWIS violations, and EPA lead indicators.

Compound Risk Breakdown

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $2,034

Flood $1,052/yr
Wildfire $930/yr
Energy Code Gap $484/yr

Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).

Housing Age Distribution

158,862 housing units in Santa Barbara County

Pre-1940 8%
1940–1959 15%
1960–1979 38%
1980–1999 25%
2000+ 14%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).

Water Safety Affordability

How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in Santa Barbara County

$1075K
Median Home Value
$2,045
Est. Remediation Cost
0.2%
of Home Value
Remediation as % of home value low burden

Remediation costs are relatively manageable for most homeowners in Santa Barbara County, representing a small fraction of property value.

Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.

Health Outcomes vs National Average

CDC PLACES data for Santa Barbara County residents

Asthma 9.7% (US avg: 8.9%)
Diabetes 10.8% (US avg: 11%)
Obesity 26.1% (US avg: 32.4%)

Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Water systems serving Santa Barbara County

8 community water systems serving Santa Barbara County.

Show all 8 water systems

31 total water systems serve Santa Barbara County.

Systems with the most violations in Santa Barbara County

5 water systems with recorded EPA violations.

All ZIP Codes in Santa Barbara County

40 ZIP codes tracked in Santa Barbara County.

# ZIP Code City Safety Score Grade Violations Home Value
1 93013 Carpinteria 58 C 1 $1075K
2 93101 Santa Barbara 58 C 0 $1122K
3 93103 Santa Barbara 58 C 1 $1556K
4 93105 Santa Barbara 58 C 2 $1497K
5 93108 Santa Barbara 58 C 1 $2000K
6 93109 Santa Barbara 58 C 1 $1836K
7 93110 Santa Barbara 58 C 0 $1101K
8 93111 Santa Barbara 58 C 0 $1171K
9 93427 Buellton 58 C 1 $763K
10 93434 Guadalupe 58 C 0 $454K
11 93436 Lompoc 58 C 1 $460K
12 93437 Lompoc 58 C 0
13 93441 Los Olivos 58 C 1 $1344K
14 93454 Santa Maria 58 C 14 (12 health) $478K
15 93458 Santa Maria 58 C 0 $460K
16 93460 Santa Ynez 57 C 2 $1188K
17 93463 Solvang 56 C 3 $1044K
18 93117 Goleta 54 D 2 (1 health) $1022K
19 93455 Santa Maria 43 D 46 $573K
20 93014 Carpinteria
21 93067 Summerland 1 $1597K
22 93102 Santa Barbara
23 93106 Santa Barbara 0
24 93107 Santa Barbara
25 93116 Goleta
26 93118 Goleta
27 93120 Santa Barbara
28 93121 Santa Barbara
29 93130 Santa Barbara
30 93140 Santa Barbara
31 93150 Santa Barbara
32 93160 Santa Barbara
33 93190 Santa Barbara
34 93254 New Cuyama $216K
35 93429 Casmalia
36 93438 Lompoc
37 93440 Los Alamos 0 $672K
38 93456 Santa Maria
39 93457 Santa Maria
40 93464 Solvang

Recommended Buyer Guides for Santa Barbara County

Four sources - EPA, NSF, FEMA, CDC - drive the match.

Overview

Santa Barbara County in California covers 40 tracked ZIP records with an average Home Safety Score of C (57/100) across 19 scored records.

14 of 22 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record have recorded EPA violations. 13 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.

← Back to California Home Safety Profile

Data Sources

Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water safe in Santa Barbara County?
Santa Barbara County receives a grade of C. Some ZIP codes have recorded violations and residents in affected areas may want to test their water.
How many water systems serve Santa Barbara County?
Santa Barbara County is served by 31 public water systems that supply drinking water to residents across 40 ZIP codes.
What is the biggest environmental risk in Santa Barbara County?
The primary environmental risk factor in Santa Barbara County is flood. This contributes to an estimated additional annual cost of $2,034 per homeowner.
How old are homes in Santa Barbara County?
The median home build year in Santa Barbara County is 1975. 69.6% of homes were built before 1978, which means they may contain lead-based paint and older plumbing materials.
How does Santa Barbara County compare to California?
Santa Barbara County has an average Home Safety Score of 57/100 under model 4.0.0, which is below the California state average of 76/100.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (2026). Santa Barbara County, CA: HSS 57/100; 13 Health Violations. https://zipcheckup.com/county/california/santa-barbara/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-county-california-santa-barbara,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Santa Barbara County, CA: HSS 57/100; 13 Health Violations}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/county/california/santa-barbara/}
}

Page version: August 2026.

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