2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Santa Barbara, CA vs Monterey, CA

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Highlights
Are people in Monterey older or younger than people in Santa Barbara?
- The Median Age in Monterey is 1.7 years younger than in Santa Barbara.

Are housing costs cheaper in Monterey or Santa Barbara?
- Monterey housing costs are 33.0% less expensive than Santa Barbara housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Monterey or Santa Barbara?
- The average commute for residents of Monterey is 1.9 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Santa Barbara.

Things to do in Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara, California has something for everyone - from fantastic beaches to world-class shopping and dining experiences. Visitors can explore Old Mission Santa Barbara or take part in various water activities around Stearns Wharf.

Things to do in Monterey?
Monterey, CA is an iconic beach city located on the Monterey Peninsula of California's central coast. This picturesque coastal community offers stunning beaches, world-class golf courses, fabulous restaurants and galleries, plus numerous other recreational activities.

 Santa Barbara, CAMonterey, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock30,014329,725,481
 Median Income$89,243  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock37.438.4
 Avg. Home Price$1,525,500  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock3.8%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time17.15  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Santa Barbara    51 Reviews

I moved to Santa Barbara around 23 years ago to study at Brooks, which like most of the Santa Barbara that I knew—has been destroyed. Homelessness, drugs, gangs, high  More

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Over 4 years ago

I fell in love with Santa Barbara about thirty years ago and finally moved here a few years ago. Because of the price of homes, it is an expensive place to live. The  More

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If you like high crime, paying a $4,500 a month mortgage and crazy high taxes, this is the place for you. It’s too bad because it wasn’t always like this. When I moved  More

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Reviews for Monterey    21 Reviews

Over 8 years ago

The Monterey city area is an excellent place to live and one of the few California locales where it's relatively safe to raise a family. If I could no longer live here I  More

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I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula and had to leave to climb out of poverty. The median income is $35,000 and outside of the military, the jobs are mostly service  More

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My husband and I are just crazy about Monterey. I wonder if we take housing expenses (mortgage or rent) out of the picture, is Monterey still a very expensive city to  More

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