Santa Barbara County is made up of small towns with beautiful natural resources, strong community ties, unique downtown areas, luxurious homes and excellent educational services. Known as the “American Riviera” Santa Barbara provides residents with a mild climate, rural beauty and tranquility. Although its mass is big (2,737 sq.mi) it has as small population of 407,057 people. Consequently, the towns are extremely spacious. There is plenty of room for wineries, parks, beaches and large residential estates.
Santa Barbara cities are small and offer spacious housing opportunities. Housing architecture and pricing is luxurious, but the price is worth the beautiful scenery, outdoor activities, small community and safe neighborhoods.
Santa Barbara prides itself in having unique towns. Solvang is an adorable Danish town with buildings that look like they are straight out of a Danish fairytale. Can enjoy various boutiques and restaurants, stroll through Hans Christian Andersen Park, go for a bike ride or go fishing. Lompoc is known as the City of Flowers and Arts and has a lovely flower festival every year. Santa Maria is known for, amongst other things, its delicious BBQ. Santa Maria Style BBQ has been copyrighted by the Chamber of Commerce and consists of Top Sirloin Top Block, Pinquit beans (which can only be grown in Santa Maria), and a bottle of Santa Maria’s famous wine. Carpinteria has a strong business district and an equally strong residential district. It has a strong community feel where everyone knows each other, works to better the local schools and communities, and stays to watch their kids and grandkids grow up.
The county of Santa Barbara has extensive outdoor recreational activities. In the county’s various beaches, parks, wineries, valleys, and mountains residents can bike, hike, ride horses, fish, golf, surf and sail.
Santa Barbara County has several distinguished school districts and higher education opportunities. University of California Santa Barbara and Westmont College are both located in the city of Santa Barbara. Westmont is a private liberal arts college and is part of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities. UC Santa Barbara is a large public university with schools in creative studies, engineering, environmental sciences and education. There are also several professional schools including Brooks Institute of Photography and the Music Academy of the West.
If you are looking for a quiet town with friendly neighbors, perfect weather, lots of outdoor activities, beautiful scenery and that is still just a few hours from the big cities of LA, then Santa Barbara is your county.
Ventura
Ventura is California’s country county. With lots of wide-open spaces, access to mountains and beaches and spacious homes, Ventura is the place for people who want to step away from the normal hustle and bustle of Southern California. This country feel, however, does not mean that Ventura is in the middle of nowhere. The county has a growing technology industry, excellent shopping centers, a civic arts plaza, beach resorts, emergency services and recreational activities. Ventura County is the perfect place for those who want to enjoy the benefits of big city life without the drawbacks.
Ventura County is incredibly affordable. The median income is around $58,000. Most houses fall into the range of $250,000-$600,000 with the average price being about $355,000. The rental market in Ventura has stayed consistent over the past few months, which makes it a great place for investment properties. Ventura spans 1,845.3 square miles and houses 802,983 people. There is an average of only 408 people per square mile that contributes to the wide-open country feel throughout the county.
The best place to live is near the place you work and Ventura County offers many jobs in different industries including agriculture and finance. The “Technology Corridor” is a 26-mile stretch of aerospace, electronics, defense system manufacturers and computer services. Ventura is incredibly supportive of small businesses. The Ventura Venture Tech Center (V2TC) serves as a new business incubator that puts entrepreneurs in contact with investors, executives, universities and economic development professionals who want to support small business. Although many residents are able to find jobs in Ventura, nearby Los Angeles and Santa Barbara also offer great opportunities for those few residents who cannot find jobs in Ventura.
Ventura has excellent educational facilities to prepare young minds for the aforementioned jobs. There are 21 school districts that services over 140,000 students. There are great opportunities for traditional public school education in advance districts such as Moorpark Unified School District which is sending 7 band students to the Rose Bowl this year. Simi Valley Unified School District has impressive test scores and offers free access to educational databases for young and adult students. There are also several universities and colleges in Ventura including California Lutheran University, California State University Channel Islands, Saint John’s Seminary, Moorpark College and Ventura College.
Ventura has several recreational and entertainment services for its guests and residents. One of the most beautiful parks in Ventura is the Channel Islands National Park. Guests can explore five different islands and see 145 species of plants and animals that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Shipwreck remains, cultural artifacts, blue whales and bald eagles are just some of the things guests of the park can admire. The county has several other beaches, parks, lakes and hiking trails for outdoor enthusiasts. For indoor entertainment, residents can go to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza has a 1800 seat auditorium that shows 400 musicals, concerts, comedy shows and plays annually. The Museum of Ventura County and the Ronald Reagan Library are interesting hot spots for history and art buffs.
If you enjoy the amenities of big city life but do not want to deal with the traffic and crowds of a big city, consider a move to Ventura County. The affordable prices, excellent educational and job opportunities, open spaces and extensive recreational activities make Ventura a great place to live.
Santa Barbara County is made up of small towns with beautiful natural resources, strong community ties, unique downtown areas, luxurious homes and excellent educational services. Known as the “American Riviera” Santa Barbara provides residents with a mild climate, rural beauty and tranquility. Although its mass is big (2,737 sq.mi) it has as small population of 407,057 people. Consequently, the towns are extremely spacious. There is plenty of room for wineries, parks, beaches and large residential estates.
The county of Santa Barbara has extensive outdoor recreational activities. In the county’s various beaches, parks, wineries, valleys, and mountains residents can bike, hike, ride horses, fish, golf, surf and sail.
Ventura is California’s country county. With lots of wide-open spaces, access to mountains and beaches and spacious homes, Ventura is the place for people who want to step away from the normal hustle and bustle of Southern California. This country feel, however, does not mean that Ventura is in the middle of nowhere. The county has a growing technology industry, excellent shopping centers, a civic arts plaza, beach resorts, emergency services and recreational activities. Ventura County is the perfect place for those who want to enjoy the benefits of big city life without the drawbacks.
