3 census tracts · pop 11,391 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.5/10
· range 6.4–8
The Mesa is a 3-tract neighborhood of Santa Barbara, CA, population 11,391. That produces an Eviction Risk Score of 7.5/10, Elevated tier. Against a Santa Barbara baseline of 33.4%, 58% of renters here cross the 30%-of-income line.
37% are severely burdened, paying half their income or more in rent. That cohort has no absorption capacity for an unexpected bill, and it is where non-payment filings originate. What pushes the score up most is tenant-organizing strength at 9.6/10. Internally this is not one market. Tract scores span 6.4 to 8, so two buildings inside the same boundary can carry materially different risk.
Running hot is rent-regulation exposure at 7.7/10. At $2,731 a month, rents sit 13% over what the rest of Santa Barbara commands. On the high side is housing-court posture at 7/10.
That places it #5 of 7 neighborhoods in Santa Barbara. The closest comparables inside the same city are Westside and Upper State. Annual rent works out to 25% of average household income of $128,937.
46% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 7.5 headline, because the internal range is too wide to average safely. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
7.5
Elevated
3 tracts · population-weighted
The Mesa vs Santa BarbaraHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority38%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport61%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in The Mesa
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
9.1%Housing insecurity
5.3%Utility shutoff threat
10.6%Food insecurity
9.9%SNAP enrollment
5.9%No health insurance
28.6%Any disability
Frequently asked
About The Mesa
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for The Mesa?
The Mesa scores 7.5/10 (Elevated tier) across 3 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.
Q2
How does The Mesa compare to Santa Barbara overall?
The Mesa scores 0.3 points lower than Santa Barbara overall (7.8/10). Renters spend 58% of income on rent vs 33% citywide. Average rent: $2,731 vs $2,413.
Q3
What is the average rent in The Mesa?
Average gross rent in The Mesa is $2,731/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 58% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of The Mesa residents are renters?
46% of The Mesa households are renter-occupied (vs 60% in Santa Barbara). The neighborhood has 11,391 residents.
Q5
Is The Mesa a high social-vulnerability area?
The Mesa sits in the 48th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (less vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6
Which tracts in The Mesa have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in The Mesa is census tract 06083001203 (score 8/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 6.4 to 8, a spread of 1.6 points.
Q7
How safe is The Mesa for landlords?
The Mesa carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.5/10). Pop-weighted across 3 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Santa Barbara as a whole (7.8/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of The Mesa?
The Mesa has 11,137 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (73%), Hispanic / Latino (17.6%), Other / Multiracial (5.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
