Santa Barbara

In addition to being a popular tourist and resort destination, the city has a diverse economy that includes a large service sector, education, technology, health care, finance and local government. In 2004, the service sector accounted for 35% of local employment. In 2024, the biggest employer in Santa Barbara County was government, followed by private education and healthcare, then leisure and hospitality. Together, these accounted for 50.5% of all employment.

Area institutions of higher learning include the University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College, Westmont College, The Colleges of Law, and Antioch University Santa Barbara.