Between one-quarter and one-third of Central Coast residents lived in economic hardship in 2021, meaning their household income fell below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that threshold was $53,000 annually. At that income level, families cannot afford rent, food, healthcare, childcare, and transportation without going into debt, skipping medical care, or cutting meals.

Economic hardship rates in 2021 varied across counties: 32 percent of Santa Barbara County residents, 25 percent of San Luis Obispo County residents, and 24 percent of Ventura County residents lived below 200 percent FPL. These rates have held relatively steady since 1980, with Santa Barbara seeing a slight increase and San Luis Obispo seeing a decline from 36 percent to 25 percent.

Latinx residents faced the highest hardship rates across all three counties. In Santa Barbara County in 2021, 44 percent of Latinx residents lived in economic hardship, compared to 32 percent countywide. In Ventura County, 35 percent of Latinx residents lived in hardship. In San Luis Obispo County, 32 percent of Latinx residents and 31 percent of Asian American residents lived in economic hardship, compared to 25 percent countywide.

Economic hardship concentrated in specific cities. In Santa Barbara County, New Cuyama and Guadalupe each had roughly 50 percent of residents living in hardship. In Ventura County, Santa Paula had 39 percent, Port Hueneme had 36 percent, Oxnard had 36 percent, and Piru had 30 percent. In San Luis Obispo County, San Miguel had 48 percent, San Luis Obispo city had 43 percent, and Santa Margarita had 37 percent.

To explore the geographic distribution of economic hardship, please visit Economic Hardship Across the Region.

Insights & Analyses: Central Coast

• There has been a slight increase in the percentage of people experiencing economic hardship in Santa Barbara between 1980 and 2021 (about 32 percent). 
• Economic hardship in Ventura County has remained steady across four decades, with about 24 percent of people experiencing economic hardship in 2021.
• San Luis Obispo has seen a decline in the percentage of people experiencing economic hardship. In 1980, about 36 percent, and in 2021, just under 25 percent experienced economic hardship.
• About a quarter of all residents in San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties experience economic hardship, while nearly a third of Santa Barbara County residents do. 
• A larger proportion of Latinx residents experience economic hardship than other groups, with rates above average across each of the three counties. 
• In San Luis Obispo, 32 percent of Latinx residents and 31 percent of Asian American residents experienced economic hardship, compared to a quarter of all residents. 
• In Santa Barbara, 44 percent of Latinx residents experienced economic hardship, compared to 32 percent of all residents. 
• In Ventura County, 35 percent of Latinx residents experienced economic hardship, compared to 23 percent of all residents.In Ventura County, 35 percent of Latinx residents experienced economic hardship, compared to 23 percent of all residents.

Insights & Analyses: San Luis Obispo County

• In San Luis Obispo County, around a quarter of residents experience economic hardship.
• The cities of San Miguel, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Margarita experience economic hardship levels higher than the county rate at 48, 43, 37 percent, respectively.

Insights & Analyses: Santa Barbara County

• Notably, in Santa Barbara County, New Cuyama, Guadalupe, and Isla Vista cities experience the highest rates of economic hardship.
• About half of residents in New Cuyama and Guadalupe, and around 87 percent of Isla Vista residents experience economic hardship.

Insights & Analyses: Ventura County

• In Ventura County, 39 percent of those living in Santa Paula city experienced economic hardship, followed by 36 percent of residents in Port Hueneme and Oxnard, and 30 percent of residents in Piru.