Places › California › Eastern Goleta Valley

Living in Eastern Goleta Valley, CA

College town in California

Eastern Goleta Valley is a college town in California, home to about 29,000 people, with 245,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Eastern Goleta Valley a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Mild summers: highs around 73°F
  • Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Dog-friendly: 10 dog parks within 9 mi

👎 Cons

  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $1.39M, and rent is $4,080 a month
  • Smaller job market: about 245,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer family amenities than most places

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Eastern Goleta Valley ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
29,000
245,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
64°F / 73°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$1.39M
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$4,080/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
109
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.62% property tax
Safety
No data
Not in FBI 2019 city table
Natural disasters
13 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
2
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Good
Tests above US average · 21 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
52%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
BUR
83 mi away

Living in Eastern Goleta Valley: common questions

What is the cost of living in Eastern Goleta Valley?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $1.39M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $4,080 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 109, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Eastern Goleta Valley?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.62% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Eastern Goleta Valley safe?

Eastern Goleta Valley isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.

How are the schools in Eastern Goleta Valley?

Public schools in Eastern Goleta Valley test above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 21 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Eastern Goleta Valley?

Eastern Goleta Valley has mild winters: winter days average around 64°F and summer days around 73°F.

Does Eastern Goleta Valley get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 13 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.09 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Eastern Goleta Valley?

The nearest major airport is BUR, about 83 mi away.

How Eastern Goleta Valley scores

Each bar compares Eastern Goleta Valley with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietSuburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly walkable Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateMild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceRelaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingPoor
💸Low taxesAverage
💼Job marketBelow average
🏥HealthcareGood
🏫SchoolsGood
🎓EducationGood
🧸Kids & familyBelow average
🐕Dog-friendlyExcellent
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CultureAverage
👮SafetyNo crime data (counted as average)
🌪️Few natural disastersAverage
☀️SunnyExcellent
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportGood

Places like Eastern Goleta Valley

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Petaluma, CASuburb62 $842k$3,890/moVery safe Goleta, CACollege town59 $1.35M$4,080/moVery safe East Honolulu, HISuburb59 $1.36M$3,670/moNo crime data Orcutt, CASmall city47 $683k$4,080/moNo crime data Mililani Town, HISuburb58 $1.03M$3,670/moNo crime data Camarillo, CASuburb66 $838k$3,650/moVery safe

Nearby

Goleta, CACollege town · 4 mi away59 $1.35M$4,080/moVery safe Santa Barbara, CASmall city · 5 mi away56 $1.90M$4,080/moSafe San Buenaventura (Ventura), CAMid-size city · 33 mi away54 $906k$3,650/moNo crime data Oxnard, CAMid-size city · 37 mi away53 $728k$3,650/moSafe Santa Paula, CASuburb · 41 mi away59 $704k$3,650/moVery safe Lompoc, CASmall city · 42 mi away38 $580k$4,080/moModerate crime

See all the best places to live in California.

Is Eastern Goleta Valley right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.