More than one in four K-12 students in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties lack a high-speed internet connection, a computer, or both at home. In Ventura County, one in five students lack access. Without internet and devices at home, students cannot complete homework assigned online, access school materials posted digitally, or communicate with teachers outside school hours.

Latinx students face the widest access gaps. Thirty-seven percent of Latinx students in San Luis Obispo County, 35 percent in Santa Barbara County, and 30 percent in Ventura County lack internet or computers at home, rates far higher than white or Asian American students in each county. In Ventura, only nine percent of white students and eight percent of Asian American students lack access.

The gap reflects income inequality and geography. High-speed internet infrastructure does not reach all neighborhoods equally, and the cost of internet service and devices represents a significant expense for low-income families. Schools assign work that requires internet and computers at home, but not all students have those tools.

Insights & Analyses: Central Coast

• About 26 percent of youth in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, and over a fifth of youth in Ventura County (21 percent) lacked a high-speed internet connection, a computer, or both at home. 
• Latinx youth faced the greatest digital divide across all racial groups, with 37 percent of Latinx youth in San Luis Obispo County lacking internet, followed by 35 percent of Latinx youth in Santa Barbara County and 30 percent of Latinx youth in Ventura County.