Neighborhood · Santa Barbara, CA

Waterfront Eviction Risk: Elevated

1 census tracts · pop 3,969 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 6.8/10 · range 6.8–6.8

Waterfront is a hispanic-white neighborhood in Santa Barbara with 1 census tract and a population of 3,969 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 6.8/10 (Elevated tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 58% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 31% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $2,295/month sits 5% lower than the Santa Barbara citywide average ($2,413).

Risk score

6.8

Elevated

1 tracts · population-weighted

Waterfront vs Santa Barbara How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

57.8% +73%

Santa Barbara: 33.4%

Average gross rent

$2,295 -5%

Santa Barbara: $2,413

Average HH income

$82,826 -19%

Santa Barbara: $101,672

Poverty rate

16.3% +25%

Santa Barbara: 13.1%

Renter share

85.5% +42%

Santa Barbara: 60.1%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Waterfront and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 1 tracts span score 6.8–6.8

Why Waterfront scores 6.8

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

58% 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

86% 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

16.3% below poverty line · Range 4.1–4.1 across tracts

4.1

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 2.6–2.6 across tracts

2.6

Risk score comparison

Waterfront vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

1 tracts in Waterfront

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
06083001206	6.8	3,969	58%	$2,295

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 84

Pop-weighted across 1 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 93%ile

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

Household characteristics 21%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 75%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 89%ile

Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Waterfront

Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.

19.6%Housing insecurity
10.8%Utility shutoff threat
24.5%Food insecurity
22.8%SNAP enrollment
14.6%No health insurance
33.9%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Waterfront

What is the eviction-risk score for Waterfront?

Waterfront scores 6.8/10 (Elevated tier) across 1 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 Waterfront compare to Santa Barbara overall?

Waterfront scores 1.3 points lower than Santa Barbara overall (8.1/10). Renters spend 58% of income on rent vs 33% citywide. Average rent: $2,295 vs $2,413.

What is the average rent in Waterfront?

Average gross rent in Waterfront is $2,295/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 58% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Waterfront residents are renters?

86% of Waterfront households are renter-occupied (vs 60% in Santa Barbara). The neighborhood has 3,969 residents.

Is Waterfront a high social-vulnerability area?

Waterfront sits in the 84th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (highly vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

How safe is Waterfront for landlords?

Waterfront carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (6.8/10). Pop-weighted across 1 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 Waterfront?

Waterfront has 3,673 residents (Hispanic-White Neighborhood). Top groups: Hispanic / Latino (46.7%), White (non-Hispanic) (42.9%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (7.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Waterfront

7.5 Funk Zone 3 tracts · pop 7,284 5.9 The Mesa 3 tracts · pop 11,391 6.5 Westside 7 tracts · pop 28,341 6.8 East Side 2 tracts · pop 9,441 5.8 Upper State 4 tracts · pop 15,095 3.5 Las Positas 3 tracts · pop 13,932

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Santa Barbara

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Waterfront.

6.9 East Side 2 tracts · pop 9,441 6.3 Westside 7 tracts · pop 28,341 6 The Mesa 3 tracts · pop 11,391 7.7 Funk Zone 3 tracts · pop 7,284 5.7 Upper State 4 tracts · pop 15,095 5 Riviera 1 tracts · pop 5,470

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