Coastal and urban communities in Oxnard, Port Hueneme, El Rio, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Goleta, and Santa Barbara lived with the highest pollution burdens on the Central Coast in 2021. CalEnviroScreen 4.0 scores in these areas reflected heavy exposure to multiple pollution sources combined with economic conditions that limit residents’ ability to protect their health.

CalEnviroScreen 4.0, developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency, measures cumulative environmental impact using pollution exposures (air quality, proximity to hazardous waste, pesticide use) and community vulnerability (poverty rates, limited English, housing conditions). Higher scores mean more pollution exposure combined with fewer resources to buffer against health impacts.

In 2021, Ventura County had 42 census tracts in the highest impact range, concentrated in Oxnard, unincorporated Ventura areas, San Buenaventura, Port Hueneme, and El Rio. Santa Barbara County had nine census tracts in the highest range, affecting communities in unincorporated Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc. San Luis Obispo County had lower scores overall, with moderate-range scores (23 to 27) in San Luis Obispo, Nipomo, Oceano, Paso Robles, and unincorporated areas.

Insights & Analyses: Central Coast

• Of the three counties, Ventura County had 42 census tracts in the highest range, followed by Santa Barbara County which had 9 census tracts. 

Insights & Analyses: San Luis Obispo County

• In San Luis Obispo County, census tracts in San Luis Obispo, Nipomo, Oceano, and El Paso de Robles, as well as Unincorporated areas of San Luis Obispo County had scores ranging from 23 to 27. 

Insights & Analyses: Santa Barbara County

• In Santa Barbara County, the census tracts with the highest CalEnviroScreen 4.0 Cumulative Impact Score were located in Unincorporated Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc.

Insights & Analyses: Ventura County

• In Ventura County, the census tracts with the highest CalEnviroScreen 4.0 Cumulative Impact Scores were located in Oxnard, Unincorporated Ventura, San Buenaventura, Port Hueneme, and El Rio. 

Source: USC Equity Research Institute analysis of Cal EnviroScreen 4.0 scores and 2010 TIGER/Line Shapefiles (machine readable data files) / prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau, 2023. Note: Population data used is based on US population data from the 2019 American Community Survey summary file. For the purposes of this analysis, we have taken the CES 4.0 scores for all tracts within San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties and sorted them into quintiles. Therefore, this map is not reflective of the true CES 4.0 rankings and therefore not indicative of the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Disadvantaged Community status. Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, San Nicolas, and Santa Barbara islands estimates were not included because the population sizes of residents living on the islands were too small to provide accurate estimates. The Disadvantaged Communities designation details are listed here: https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/sb535