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Housing, workforce, and demographic trends remain top concerns in Santa Barbara County. A new public Housing Data Dashboard gives residents and community leaders a clearer way to track them.
The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) developed the dashboard to bring complex information into one place. It shows where housing is being built, how affordable it is, who lives in the region, and how people commute to work. It also provides information on homelessness trends and workforce characteristics.
“Instead of searching through multiple state and federal reports, the dashboard makes annual housing and demographic data easy to access in one place,” said Mia Lewis, transportation planner for SBCAG. “The transparency of the information is helpful for residents and decision-makers working on housing solutions.”
The Housing Data Dashboard originated as a project of the League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara. SBCAG expanded it to a countywide scale and will oversee its long-term maintenance.
Accessible on SBCAG’s website, the dashboard offers interactive charts, maps, and downloadable workbooks that allow users to filter by city, unincorporated community, or by North and South County. It covers nine main areas called “sections:”
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Housing, Supply Production & Type – shows how many homes are approved, permitted, and completed.
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Regional Targets for Housing Growth/Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) – tracks how much housing each city and community has planned and built, with progress shown for the 5th cycle (2014–2022) and 6th cycle (2023–2031) by income level.
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Housing Affordability – provides data on rents, mortgage costs, and how much of their income households spend on housing.
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Housing Availability & Tenure – shows whether homes are owner- or renter-occupied, vacant, or overcrowded.
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General Demographics – tracks population changes, age and gender breakdowns, and urban versus rural growth.
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Reference Map – provides a map of cities and unincorporated communities to help navigate the dashboard.
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Regional Economy & Workforce – shows where people work, industry types, and labor force details.
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Commuting – provides information on how people travel to work within the county, vehicle access, and remote work trends.
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Homelessness – tracks annual Point-in-Time counts and information on housing programs and interventions.
A User Guide and Glossary are also provided to support use of the dashboard. A recorded “how-to” video is also available on SBCAG’s YouTube channel to guide users through the dashboard’s features.
“The dashboard is designed for anyone to use, not just data experts,” Lewis said. “We wanted to make it easy to navigate while still providing the depth of information that agencies and community partners need.”
The data comes from trusted sources including the California Department of Housing and Community Development, the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and local homelessness counts. SBCAG also conducted its own calculations to align data with local planning needs.
The dashboard is updated twice a year. By the end of each calendar year, SBCAG incorporates the prior year’s housing and affordability data released by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. In the spring, the tool is refreshed with the latest demographic and workforce data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The State Department of Finance designates SBCAG to serve as the affiliate U.S. Census center for Santa Barbara County. As such, SBCAG serves as a conduit for government and public access to U.S. Census data.
The public can explore the Housing Data Dashboard by visiting the Demographics & RHNA page under Planning & Programming at www.sbcag.org or request a link by emailing info@sbcag.org or calling (805) 600-4477.
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