7 census tracts · pop 28,341 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.8/10
· range 6.4–9.2
Westside spans 7 census tracts of Santa Barbara, CA and houses 28,341 people. Scored across those inputs it reaches 7.8/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. Cost burden runs 54% against 33.4% citywide, putting Westside 20.7% over its own city.
The dominant input is tenant-organizing strength at 9.6/10. The severe-burden share is 28%. 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 7 constituent tracts range from 6.4 to 9.2. A 2.8-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here. 70% of occupied units are rented, so comparables are plentiful and vacancy risk is low, but a mispriced renewal loses the tenant to a building two streets over. On the high side is rent-regulation exposure at 7.7/10.
On the softer side is supply constraint, at 2.5/10. Among the 7 mapped neighborhoods of Santa Barbara, it ranks #4 by risk, the middle third.
For a like-for-like read, The Mesa and East Side score within a fraction of it. Average gross rent runs $2,287, close to the Santa Barbara average. Annual rent works out to 27% of average household income of $99,905.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 7.8 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
7.8
Elevated
7 tracts · population-weighted
Westside vs Santa BarbaraHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority63%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport74%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Westside
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
14.5%Housing insecurity
8.0%Utility shutoff threat
17.3%Food insecurity
16.2%SNAP enrollment
10.9%No health insurance
30.6%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Westside
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Westside?
Westside scores 7.8/10 (Elevated tier) across 7 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 Westside compare to Santa Barbara overall?
Westside scores 0.0 points higher than Santa Barbara overall (7.8/10). Renters spend 54% of income on rent vs 33% citywide. Average rent: $2,287 vs $2,413.
Q3
What is the average rent in Westside?
Average gross rent in Westside is $2,287/month (pop-weighted across 7 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 54% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Westside residents are renters?
70% of Westside households are renter-occupied (vs 60% in Santa Barbara). The neighborhood has 28,341 residents.
Q5
Is Westside a high social-vulnerability area?
Westside sits in the 65th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (moderately 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 Westside have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Westside is census tract 06083000301 (score 9.2/10). Across the 7 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 6.4 to 9.2, a spread of 2.8 points.
Q7
How safe is Westside for landlords?
Westside carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.8/10). Pop-weighted across 7 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 Westside?
Westside has 27,902 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (46.8%), Hispanic / Latino (44%), Other / Multiracial (5.3%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
