Isla Vista, CA

Census Place

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2021 Population

15,732

0.00636% 1-year decline

US Senator

Dianne Feinstein

Democratic Party

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

21.1

0% 1-year change

2021 Poverty Rate

71.5%

0.871% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$22,386

6.51% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

7,619

0.701% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Isla Vista, CA had a population of 15.7k people with a median age of 21.1 and a median household income of $22,386. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Isla Vista, CA declined from 15,733 to 15,732, a −0.00636% decrease and its median household income grew from $21,018 to $22,386, a 6.51% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Isla Vista, CA are White (Non-Hispanic) (52.8%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (14.9%), White (Hispanic) (10.2%), Other (Hispanic) (9.03%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (5.32%).

None of the households in Isla Vista, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

87.1% of the residents in Isla Vista, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Isla Vista, CA are University of California-Santa Barbara (7,875 degrees awarded in 2021).

Most people in Isla Vista, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 14.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Isla Vista, CA was 2 cars per household.

United States California Santa Barbara County, CA Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA South Coast Region PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

Isla Vista, CA is home to a population of 15.7k people, from which 87.1% are citizens. As of 2021, 15.6% of Isla Vista, CA residents were born outside of the country (2.46k people).

In 2021, there were 3.54 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.31k people) in Isla Vista, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.35k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 1.6k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

87.1%

2021 Citizenship

87.1%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 87.1% of Isla Vista, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Isla Vista, CA was 87.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Isla Vista, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Isla Vista, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
8.31k ± 833
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
2.35k ± 402
White (Hispanic)
1.6k ± 383

23.3%

Hispanic Population

3.66k people

23.3% of the people in Isla Vista, CA are hispanic (3.66k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Isla Vista, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,959,545 ± 46,338 people
Philippines
828,655 ± 22,113 people
China
680,942 ± 20,084 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,959,545 California residents, followed by Philippines with 828,655 and China with 680,942.

Foreign-Born Population

15.6%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

2.46k people

16%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

2.52k people

As of 2021, 15.6% of Isla Vista, CA residents (2.46k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Isla Vista, CA was 16%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Isla Vista, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
19 ± 36
Vietnam
16 ± 34
World War II
6 ± 12

Isla Vista, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.19 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Isla Vista, CA employs 7.62k people. The largest industries in Isla Vista, CA are Accommodation & Food Services (2,149 people), Educational Services (1,756 people), and Retail Trade (957 people), and the highest paying industries are Construction ($40,350), Finance & Insurance ($34,828), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($34,440).

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $69,050. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.497, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

7.62k

2021 Value

± 748

0.701%

1 Year growth

± 13.7%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Isla Vista, CA grew at a rate of 0.701%, from 7.57k employees to 7.62k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Isla Vista, CA, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,591 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,124 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (885 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Isla Vista, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

7.62k

2021 Value

± 748

0.701%

1 Year growth

± 13.7%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Isla Vista, CA grew at a rate of 0.701%, from 7.57k employees to 7.62k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Isla Vista, CA, are Accommodation & Food Services (2,149 people), Educational Services (1,756 people), and Retail Trade (957 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Isla Vista, CA, though some of these residents may live in Isla Vista, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$13,258

Median earning men ± $2,142

$6,042

Median earning women ± $1,155

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Construction ($40,350), Information ($20,640), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($20,375).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Manufacturing ($13,080), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($11,557), and Information ($11,094).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in California. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound California product (by dollars) was Electronics with $405B, followed by Mixed freight ($159B) and Pharmaceuticals ($155B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound California products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for California.

$2.21T

2020 Value in California

$4.61T

Projected 2050 Value in California

109% growth

In 2020, total outbound California trade was $2.21T. This is expected to increase 109% to $4.61T by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound California trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Most Common Trade Partners

Texas
$84.4B
Arizona
$44.8B
Ohio
$40.6B

In 2020, the top outbound California domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $84.4B, followed by Arizona with $44.8B and Ohio and $40.6B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that California shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 63.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.3%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.07%).

Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Isla Vista, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (63.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (34.3%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.07%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 63.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.3%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.07%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Dianne Feinstein

Senator from California

Assumed office on November 10, 1992
Elected to the seat to succeed John Seymour (California politician)|John Seymour, who had been appointed to the seat after Pete Wilson was elected Governor of California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 18, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from California

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for California have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2021, universities in Isla Vista, CA awarded 7,875 degrees. The student population of Isla Vista, CA in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 11,729 male students and 14,395 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Isla Vista, CA are White (2,696 and 39.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (1,827 and 27%), Asian (1,295 and 19.1%), and Two or More Races (549 and 8.1%).

The largest universities in Isla Vista, CA by number of degrees awarded are University of California-Santa Barbara (7,875 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Isla Vista, CA are Sociology (726 and 9.22%), Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (723 and 9.18%), and General Communication (469 and 5.96%).

The median tuition cost in Isla Vista, CA for a public four year colleges is $11,442 for in-state students and $41,196 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2021 in Isla Vista, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 29.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2021 was 26,124 (44.9% men and 55.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2021 there were 26,124 students enrolled in Isla Vista, CA, 44.9% men and 55.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 8,550 records, of which 56.3% were women and 43.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Sociology
717 degree-majors awarded
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
695 degree-majors awarded
General Communication
462 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Isla Vista, CA was Sociology with 717 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Isla Vista, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

University of California-Santa Barbara

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

7,875 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of California-Santa Barbara with 7,875 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2021, 3,497 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Isla Vista, CA, which is 0.799 times less than the 4,378 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,696 degrees mean that there were 1.48 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,827 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($11,442) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,975) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,259) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Measure

In 2021, 1.89% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.12% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were Some college (7.01M), High School or Equivalent (6.74M), and Bachelors Degree (6.25M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

People in Isla Vista, CA have an average commute time of 14.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Isla Vista, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 29.24
Census Tract 29.26

The following map shows all of the places in Isla Vista, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$22,386

Median Household Income

± $3,499

4.57k

Number of Households

± 492

In 2021, the median household income of the 4.57k households in Isla Vista, CA grew to $22,386 from the previous year's value of $21,018.

The following chart displays the households in Isla Vista, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Isla Vista, CA is from California.

0.497

2021 Wage GINI in California

0.498

2020 Wage GINI in California

In 2021, the income inequality in California was 0.497 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.12% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (46.8%)
Bicycle (22.7%)
Walked (11.1%)

In 2021, 46.8% of workers in Isla Vista, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who used a bicycle to get to work (22.7%) and those who walked to work (11.1%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

14.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Isla Vista, CA have a shorter commute time (14.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 0.311% of the workforce in Isla Vista, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Isla Vista, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Isla Vista, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Isla Vista, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

71.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Isla Vista, CA (10.2k out of 14.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Isla Vista, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

92.7% of the population of Isla Vista, CA has health coverage, with 53.3% on employee plans, 9.66% on Medicaid, 1.3% on Medicare, 27.8% on non-group plans, and 0.61% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Santa Barbara County, CA see 1317 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.2% decrease from the previous year (1333 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1158 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 170 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Santa Barbara County, CA.

1,317 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Santa Barbara County, CA

Primary care physicians in Santa Barbara County, CA see an average of 1,317 patients per year. This represents a 1.2% decrease from the previous year (1,333 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Santa Barbara County, CA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 7.25% under 18 years, 87.3% between 18 and 34 years, 3.61% between 35 and 64 years, and 1.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.34%

Uninsured

53.3%

Employer Coverage

9.66%

Medicaid

1.3%

Medicare

27.8%

Non-Group

0.61%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Isla Vista, CA grew by 21.5% from 6.04% to 7.34%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Isla Vista, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.