Neighborhood · Santa Barbara, CA

Upper State Eviction Risk: Moderate

4 census tracts · pop 15,095 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.7/10 · range 5.3–6.5

Upper State is a white (non-hispanic) neighborhood in Santa Barbara with 4 census tracts and a population of 15,095 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.7/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 44% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 23% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $2,484/month sits 3% higher than the Santa Barbara citywide average ($2,413).

Risk score

5.7

Moderate

4 tracts · population-weighted

Upper State vs Santa Barbara How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

44.0% +32%

Santa Barbara: 33.4%

Average gross rent

$2,484 +3%

Santa Barbara: $2,413

Average HH income

$124,561 +23%

Santa Barbara: $101,672

Poverty rate

9.3% -29%

Santa Barbara: 13.1%

Renter share

46.7% -22%

Santa Barbara: 60.1%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Upper State and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 4 tracts span score 5.3–6.5

Why Upper State scores 5.7

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 6.8–6.8 across tracts

6.8

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 6.6–6.6 across tracts

6.6

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 6.9–6.9 across tracts

6.9

Rent control risk

44% of income on rent · Range 7.7–7.7 across tracts

7.7

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 6.7–6.7 across tracts

6.7

Tenant organizing strength

47% renter households · Range 9.6–9.6 across tracts

9.6

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 7.0–7.0 across tracts

7.0

Economic stress

9.3% below poverty line · Range 1.9–3.2 across tracts

2.3

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 2.3–4.3 across tracts

3.2

Risk score comparison

Upper State vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Upper State?

Left: distribution of constituent tract scores. Right: every tract as a heat square. Click any square to drill in.

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 1.2 points from 5.3 to 6.5. Moderate variation across constituent tracts.

Tracts as heat grid

6.5 5.8 5.7 5.3

Each square = one census tract. Color tracks the same green→red ramp as the chloropleth map above.

Census tracts

4 tracts in Upper State

Ranked highest-risk first. Click for per-tract detail.

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
06083000201	6.5	2,656	73%	$2,477
06083000202	5.8	2,405	53%	$2,288
06083000102	5.7	4,639	39%	$2,219
06083000502	5.3	5,395	30%	$2,804

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 41

Pop-weighted across 4 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 22%ile

Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden

Household characteristics 39%ile

Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+

Racial/ethnic minority 40%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 69%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

What is the eviction-risk score for Upper State?

Upper State scores 5.7/10 (Moderate 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.

How does Upper State compare to Santa Barbara overall?

Upper State scores 2.4 points lower than Santa Barbara overall (8.1/10). Renters spend 44% of income on rent vs 33% citywide. Average rent: $2,484 vs $2,413.

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.

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.

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.

Which tracts in Upper State have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Upper State is census tract 06083000201 (score 6.5/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.3 to 6.5, a spread of 1.2 points.

How safe is Upper State for landlords?

Upper State carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.7/10). 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 (8.1/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Upper State?

Upper State has 15,150 residents (White (non-Hispanic) Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (65.3%), Hispanic / Latino (23.2%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (5.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Upper State

6.5 Westside 7 tracts · pop 28,341 3.5 Las Positas 3 tracts · pop 13,932 5.9 The Mesa 3 tracts · pop 11,391 7.5 Funk Zone 3 tracts · pop 7,284 6.8 East Side 2 tracts · pop 9,441 7.2 65 Block 3 tracts · pop 13,335

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Santa Barbara

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Upper State.

6 The Mesa 3 tracts · pop 11,391 6.3 Westside 7 tracts · pop 28,341 5 Riviera 1 tracts · pop 5,470 6.8 Waterfront 1 tracts · pop 3,969 6.9 East Side 2 tracts · pop 9,441 7.7 Funk Zone 3 tracts · pop 7,284

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