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Moving to
Orcutt.
Orcutt is an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County, CA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Orcutt
Orcutt is an unincorporated community in California with household incomes running above the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Orcutt deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Orcutt compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Orcutt
Based on Orcutt's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,386
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $87,720 a year
- 51% of Orcutt renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$124,900
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $62,450
- Homes cost 5.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 55% above US
$2,193/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,193 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $624,500. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $624,500 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Santa Barbara County is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Santa Barbara County (county-wide)
Safety
216 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Orcutt doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 690/100k · Policed by Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 15% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 73°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Channel Islands National Park (68 miles away).
Bottom line
Orcutt's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,193/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Orcutt
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