4 census tracts · pop 15,095 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7/10
· range 6.4–8.1
Upper State takes in 4 census tracts of Santa Barbara, CA and houses 15,095 people. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 7/10, in the Elevated tier. What pushes the score up most is tenant-organizing strength at 9.6/10.
Against a Santa Barbara baseline of 33.4%, 44% of renters here cross the 30%-of-income line. The severe-burden share is 23%. Those renters are past the 50% mark, and they miss rent for reasons that have nothing to do with willingness to pay. Scores across the 4 constituent tracts range from 6.4 to 8.1. A 1.7-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here.
Running hot is rent-regulation exposure at 7.7/10. Well under the midpoint is economic stress, at 2.3/10. Food insecurity affects 9.5% of adults, 8.3 points below the national rate.
That places it #6 of 7 neighborhoods in Santa Barbara. For a like-for-like read, The Mesa and Riviera score within a fraction of it. Average gross rent runs $2,484, close to the Santa Barbara average.
Annual rent works out to 24% of average household income of $124,561. 47% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 7 headline, because the internal range is too wide to average safely. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
7
Elevated
4 tracts · population-weighted
Upper State vs Santa BarbaraHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority40%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport69%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Upper State
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
8.3%Housing insecurity
4.5%Utility shutoff threat
9.3%Food insecurity
8.1%SNAP enrollment
6.2%No health insurance
28.7%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Upper State
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Upper State?
Upper State scores 7/10 (Elevated tier) across 4 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 Upper State compare to Santa Barbara overall?
Upper State scores 0.8 points lower than Santa Barbara overall (7.8/10). Renters spend 44% of income on rent vs 33% citywide. Average rent: $2,484 vs $2,413.
Q3
What is the average rent in Upper State?
Average gross rent in Upper State is $2,484/month (pop-weighted across 4 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 44% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Upper State residents are renters?
47% of Upper State households are renter-occupied (vs 60% in Santa Barbara). The neighborhood has 15,095 residents.
Q5
Is Upper State a high social-vulnerability area?
Upper State sits in the 41st 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 Upper State have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Upper State is census tract 06083000201 (score 8.1/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 6.4 to 8.1, a spread of 1.7 points.
Q7
How safe is Upper State for landlords?
Upper State carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7/10). Pop-weighted across 4 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 lower-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Upper State?
Upper State has 15,150 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (65.3%), Hispanic / Latino (23.2%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (5.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
