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SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA - USA
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United
States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 92,325.
Mission Santa Barbara, "The Queen of the Missions", is located in Santa
Barbara. It was founded on December 4, 1786, and the city built up near the
mission. A Spanish Presidio was also founded at the city. The city sustained
heavy damage in an earthquake of June 29, 1925 which was followed by
substantial rebuilding. Santa Barbara is now a largely affluent city and is
popular as a tourist destination and celebrity hideaway. The Santa Barbara
campus of the University of California is located next to nearby Isla Vista.
Geography
Santa Barbara is located at 34°25'33" North, 119°42'51" West (34.425804,
-119.714189)1. The city is about 85 miles northwest of Los Angeles, along
the Pacific coast. This stretch of coast along southern Santa Barbara County
is often referred to as the "American Riviera" because of its Mediterranean
climate. The Santa Ynez Mountains rise dramatically behind the city, with
several peaks exceeding 4,000 feet. Covered with chaparral and with
sandstone outcrops, they make a famously scenic backdrop to the town. Nearer
to town, and directly east and adjacent to Mission Santa Barbara, is a hill
known locally as the "Riviera," which is built up with expensive homes.
Much of the architecture in the city is Spanish in style, in keeping with
the Spanish heritage of the city: white buildings with tile roofs are a
trademark sight. The city has enacted strict ordinances to prevent erosion
of this image, with some success. For example, there are no billboards
anywhere in town, and none at all on the main freeway leading out of town
for almost twenty miles; in addition there is a strict sign ordinance for
businesses, with no excessively large lettering allowed.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
107.3 km² (41.4 mi²). 49.2 km² (19.0 mi²) of it is land and 58.1 km² (22.4
mi²) of it is water. The total area is 54.17% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 92,325 people, 35,605 households, and
18,941 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,878.1/km²
(4,865.3/mi²). There are 37,076 housing units at an average density of
754.2/km² (1,953.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 74.04% White,
1.77% African American, 1.07% Native American, 2.77% Asian, 0.14% Pacific
Islander, 16.37% from other races, and 3.85% from two or more races. 35.02%
of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 35,605 households out of which 24.3% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 39.8% are married couples living together, 9.5% have
a female householder with no husband present, and 46.8% are non-families.
32.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.4% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.47 and the average family size is 3.17.
In the city the population is spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18,
13.8% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100
females there are 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 95.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $47,498, and the median
income for a family is $57,880. Males have a median income of $37,116 versus
$31,911 for females. The per capita income for the city is $26,466. 13.4% of
the population and 7.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 16.8% are under the age of 18 and 7.4% are
65 or older. If one compares the per capita income to the actual cost of
living, the number of people living below the poverty line is considerably
higher. In 2002, the cost of buying a 2200 ft² (200 m²), 3 bedroom, 3
bathroom house could easily reach $650,000. Rents for a 1100 ft² (100 m²), 2
bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment were in the $2000-$2200 per month range. In
June 2004, the median home price passed $1,000,000 for the first time. Santa
Barbara also has traditionally (since the 1930s) had a large homeless
population, due in part to the mild climate.
The daily newspaper is the Santa Barbara News-Press, which has a circulation
of about 45,000.
Nearby Communities
Carpinteria
Goleta
Isla Vista
Montecito
Mission Canyon
Famous residents
Santa Barbara is the birthplace of:
Kathy Ireland, supermodel
Santa Barbara is the home of:
John Cleese, Actor
Rob Lowe, Actor
Jack Johnson (musician), Surfer, Musician, Filmaker
Oprah Winfrey, Actor - TV Host
Dennis Miller, Comedian - TV Host
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