Santa Barbara County, CA elected officials: supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Santa Barbara County: 8 seats on 4 elected bodies. 3 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Supervisors

Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
Supervisor, District 1Roy Lee source
Supervisor, District 2Laura Capps source
Supervisor, District 3Joan Hartmann source
Supervisor, District 4Bob Nelson source
Supervisor, District 5Steve Lavagnino source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
AssessorJoseph E. Holland sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District AttorneyJohn T. Savrnoch sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff-CoronerBill Brown sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Santa Barbara County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 79 local governments in Santa Barbara County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships80
School districts (school boards)220
Special districts (elected boards)480

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (1 in Santa Barbara County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Santa Barbara County

443,701people
34.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$98,161 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
36.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$790,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
22.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.7%U.S.: 8.4%
57.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
38.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 48.2% · White 40.6% · Black 1.5% · Asian 5.2% · Other or more than one race 4.5% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Santa Barbara County

4.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.6%. California: 5.1%.
10,139people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
216,149people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
226,288in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Santa Barbara County 0.0%2.2%4.3%6.5%8.6% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.5%10,139216,149226,288
August 20264.6%10,313213,169223,482
July 20264.5%9,938212,856222,794
June 20264.2%9,553215,669225,222
May 20263.7%8,285216,284224,569
April 20264.1%9,206214,644223,850
March 20264.7%10,452210,443220,895
February 20265.2%11,572209,646221,218
January 20265.5%12,000206,731218,731
December 20254.8%10,779212,699223,478
November 20254.6%10,519218,165228,684
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.6%10,410215,933226,343
August 20254.8%10,821213,461224,282
July 20254.9%11,019214,844225,863
June 20254.5%10,283217,244227,527
May 20253.8%8,610217,410226,020
April 20254.4%9,796214,279224,075
March 20255.1%11,350210,538221,888
February 20255.4%11,845206,799218,644
January 20255.5%11,885204,080215,965
December 20244.6%9,928207,102217,030
November 20244.3%9,588211,828221,416
October 20244.1%9,325216,317225,642
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.8%10,665213,223223,888
20244.5%9,898212,061221,959
20234.0%8,918211,458220,376
20223.6%7,928210,403218,331
20215.8%12,532203,139215,671
20208.2%17,729198,217215,946
20193.7%8,114213,160221,274
20183.9%8,532210,811219,343
20174.5%9,810207,499217,309
20165.0%10,967207,097218,064

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. California's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 5.1% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Santa Barbara County

417.4 per 100,0002025. California: 432.7.
1,226.4 per 100,0002025. California: 1,792.2.
9murders2025, 1,849 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20251,849417.45,4331,226.4
20241,912428.56,0561,357.3
20231,810408.06,8761,550.1
20221,686378.68,0291,802.8
20201,801405.18,2981,866.6
20191,468329.46,7751,520.4
20181,443322.07,1421,593.6
20171,470327.18,2751,841.3
20161,479331.79,2642,077.6
By police agency (9)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office2025289917135,709
Santa Maria Police Department20256931,956111,741
Santa Barbara Police Department20255541,43386,926
Lompoc Police Department202517645743,455
Goleta Police Department20256537132,573
Carpinteria Police Department20254115812,786
Guadalupe Police Department202513558,868
Solvang Police Department20258485,958
Buellton Police Department202510384,989

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in California · the U.S.

Quick answers

Who is the Santa Barbara County Assessor?
Joseph E. Holland is the Assessor of Santa Barbara County, California. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Santa Barbara County District Attorney?
John T. Savrnoch is the District Attorney of Santa Barbara County, California. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner?
Bill Brown is the Sheriff-Coroner of Santa Barbara County, California. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Santa Barbara County commissioners?
Roy Lee (Supervisor, District 1); Laura Capps (Supervisor, District 2); Joan Hartmann (Supervisor, District 3); Bob Nelson (Supervisor, District 4); Steve Lavagnino (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Santa Barbara County?
About 443,701 people, with a median age of 34.6; the median household income is $98,161 and 14.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Santa Barbara County?
4.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 10,139 people unemployed in a labor force of 226,288, against 4.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Santa Barbara County?
79 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal, 22 school district and 48 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Secretary of State's California Roster; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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