CitytisticsShortlist

St. John's University, MN vs University of California-Santa Barbara, CA

St. John's University

Minnesota

vs

University of California-Santa Barbara

California

Across 33 directional measures we can compare, St. John's University leads on 19 and University of California-Santa Barbara on 14. Counting measures is not an overall verdict: their importance depends on your priorities. Median rent is 43% higher in University of California-Santa Barbara, while median household income is higher in St. John's University.

Median gross rent
$1,068$1,526
St. John's University is 30% lower
Median household income
$77,066$69,327
St. John's University is 11% higher
Median home value
$187,500$452,900
St. John's University is 59% lower
MinnesotaCaliforniaUniversity of California-Santa Barbara, CASt. John's University, MNSt. John's UniversityUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraSt. John's UniversityUniversity of California-Santa Barbara

Which fits you?

Both start on the Citytistics Index (CTX). Move the sliders to weigh what matters to you and the score becomes your own mix.

Your weights

Top 1 of 1 matching places. Places in the top 1% show their national rank.

#PlaceCTXAffordabilityEconomyEducationSafetyCommuteAmenitiesGrowth
01University of California-Santa Barbara, CAComposite 44.4 / 100
35
121999n/a9751n/a

CTX is the Citytistics Index: better than that share of the places we rate. It tops out at 99, so the top 1% show their national rank (#1 is best). Change any weight to rank on your own mix. How the CTX is built

Every measure

The dots show where each place sits among the 6,645 places we track. The bar is the median. A small dot after a value marks the better one.

MeasureSt. John's UniversityUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraAmong all places
Cost of living
Median gross rent1$1,068$1,526
Rent to income116.6%26.4%
Property tax rate11.5%1.2%
Home price to income12.4x6.5x
Prices vs US average287.6108.8
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3$1,233$3,106
HUD area median income4$107,100$118,600
Housing
Property tax paid (median)1$2,742$5,560
Median home value1$187,500$452,900
Home prices, 1-year change52.2%3.3%
Home prices, 5-year change543.3%56.3%
Homeownership1100.0%52.4%
Renters paying 30%+149.9%45.5%
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,696$3,190
Vacant homes10.0%6.8%
Median year built119851982
Jobs and income
Median household income1$77,066$69,327
Income per person1$15,846$17,245
Unemployment18.8%14.4%
Average annual pay6$65,352$73,064
Pay growth, 1 year64.9%4.9%
Jobs687,420214,947
Poverty rate128.4%17.5%
Mean commute112 min14 min
Works from home118.4%16.8%
Commutes by transit112.0%6.6%
People
Population11,58012,121
Median age120.120.0
Bachelor's or higher178.6%80.6%
High school or higher195.9%97.9%
Household size15.42.4
Born abroad14.0%20.6%
No health insurance14.9%1.5%
Homes with broadband1100.0%44.9%
Moving
Moved here in the past year139.9%55.9%
Moved from another state16.7%8.3%
Net movers per 1,000 people7-4.0-10.0
Income of households moving in7$53,231$115,238
Income of households moving out7$62,293$84,261
Local life
Restaurants and bars per 10k822.125.0
Shops per 10k839.533.3
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k85.06.8
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k818.024.4
Child care centers per 10k83.03.3
Parks per 10k90.06.6
Playgrounds per 10k90.013.2
Grocery stores per 10k90.00.0
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k96.35.8
Libraries per 10k96.32.5
Named paths and bike trails91.54.5
Transit stops per sq mi93.111.5
Nearest National Park Service site10n/a53.4
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10n/a1
National Register listings113553
Founded or incorporated12n/a1891
Schools
Public schools1370126
Public school students1324,16066,191
Students per teacher1314.720.6
Climate
July average high1481°F82°F
January average low143°F40°F
Average temperature1443°F59°F
Annual precipitation1429.3 in18.9 in
Hazards and air
Natural hazard risk1587.699.0
Hurricane risk15n/a0.0
Tornado risk1593.05.4
Wildfire risk1576.399.2
Heat wave risk1574.675.4
Median air quality index163752
Good air days1675.6%44.9%

Data bundle checked 2026-11-14; individual source vintages vary. Rent needed at the 30% line: St. John's University $42,720, University of California-Santa Barbara $61,040 a year.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Wikidata · Wikimedia Foundation (CC0) · Retrieved 2026-11
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology.

Keep comparing

Other places people weigh against these two, and each one in full.