Condé Nast Traveler just named Santa Barbara one of the five best small cities in the country. Nearly 800,000 readers voted in its 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, and we came in fifth.
I haven't been to the other four, and I'm sure they're lovely. But I've lived here since 2001, and I'd put Santa Barbara at the top. Not for one reason, but for all of them together: the weather, the food, the ocean, the arts, the architecture and the way people live here.
Last updated: October 16, 2026
In this post: The 2026 list · Why I chose Santa Barbara · The Chumash · The weather · Natural beauty · Farm to table · The ocean's bounty · Film, music and the arts · The architecture · Healthy living · The best of both worlds
The 2026 list
- Charleston, SC
- Alexandria, VA
- Santa Fe, NM
- Greenville, SC
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Lexington, KY
- Savannah, GA
- Healdsburg, CA
- San Juan, PR
- St. Augustine, FL
Why I chose Santa Barbara
I didn't end up here by accident. I started out in Los Angeles, then lived in San Francisco and the Bay Area, and the whole time I knew I wanted to end up in Santa Barbara. I made it a goal, and in 2001 I made it happen.
This is where I wanted to raise my son. It's where I wanted my dogs to run on the beach and come along on hikes through the creeks and up to the waterfalls. It's where I go to Cinema Society screenings and get to meet the filmmakers behind the movies. It's where I can visit the farms where my food is grown and get to know the ranchers who've worked this land for generations.
Twenty-five years later, I'd make the same choice.
The Chumash figured this out first
Most hunter-gatherer people had to keep moving to follow their food. The Chumash didn't. Between the ocean, the oak groves and everything else growing here, they had enough to live in permanent villages year-round, without farming. They became one of the most densely populated communities in North America.
The same things that fed the Chumash are a big part of why life is so good here today.
The weather
Santa Barbara has a Mediterranean climate, which only five regions in the world have. Winters are mild and a little wet, and summers are warm and dry. We do get hot days, usually in late summer and fall, and cold nights in winter, but most of the year the weather is easy to live with.
Weather affects how people live anywhere. Here, because it's mild, you can be outside almost every day of the year, whether that's a hike in January, a beach walk in March, or dinner on a patio in October. The long growing season also keeps the farmers markets full all year.
Natural beauty
We have mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. I've been here more than 20 years and I still notice it every day.
Santa Barbara sits in one of only 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world, the California Floristic Province. Coast, mountains, valleys and islands are all within a short drive of each other, and each has its own microclimate. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden shows 11 different California ecosystems in one place.
Out past the harbor are the Channel Islands, a national park people call the Galapagos of North America. Boats leave from Ventura Harbor, about 40 minutes down the coast.
Farm to table
All that biodiversity means almost anything grows here. Agriculture is a big part of the local economy: Santa Barbara County's 2025 crop report valued agricultural production at about $2.24 billion. Strawberries were the top crop, followed by nursery products and broccoli, and wine grapes ranked sixth.
What I love is how close the food is, and how many farms here are doing it the right way. Regenerative farming goes beyond organic. It's about rebuilding the soil, capturing carbon and bringing back biodiversity. A few of the farms doing that work:
Jalama Canyon Ranch, in western Santa Barbara County, is a 1,000-acre regenerative agriculture research and education center run by White Buffalo Land Trust.
La Puma Farms in Santa Barbara grows organic tropical fruit, avocados, rare citrus and berries, using no-till methods, compost and cover crops.
Wanderment Farms grows organic produce and raises pasture-raised eggs and flowers, and delivers weekly farm boxes around Santa Barbara.
I talked with Jesse and Ana Smith of White Buffalo Land Trust about their work on my podcast, Living in Santa Barbara, and I'm looking forward to having Wanderment Farms on the show soon.
About 45 minutes north, the Santa Ynez Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills are full of organic, biodynamic and sustainably certified vineyards. And just over the county line, Ojai is known for its Pixie tangerines every spring.
Then there are the farmers markets. The Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market Association has been running since 1983, with about 120 growers who sell what they grow themselves. There's a market somewhere nearby six days a week: Old Town on Tuesday, Solvang on Wednesday, Carpinteria on Thursday, Montecito on Friday, downtown Santa Barbara on Saturday and Goleta on Sunday. Saturday downtown is the big one.
The ocean's bounty
The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the richest fishing areas on the coast. Local fishermen bring in market squid, spiny lobster, red sea urchin, rock crab and spot prawns. Santa Barbara Mariculture grows shellfish out in the channel, and The Cultured Abalone farms abalone right on our coast.
On Saturday mornings, the Fishermen's Market at the harbor sells seafood straight from the boats. You can buy dinner from the person who caught it.
I've had some of the people behind all this on my podcast. Stephanie Mutz is a commercial sea urchin diver, and chefs know her uni well beyond Santa Barbara. Devin Spencer runs The Cultured Abalone. Captain Tony Vultaggio owns Santa Barbara Sport Fishing Charters. Every one of them made me appreciate what comes out of our water a little more.
Film, music and the arts
For a city this size, the arts scene is hard to beat. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival brings filmmakers and actors to town every winter, and the Cinema Society keeps screenings going all year, often with the filmmakers in the room. The Arlington Theatre, which opened in 1931, is still one of the most beautiful places I know to see a film or a concert.
Add live music, galleries and theater, and there's always something good going on. I've had fellow Cinema Society members on my podcast talking Oscar picks, and it's one of my favorite parts of living here.
The architecture
Those red-tile roofs Condé Nast mentioned are not an accident. After the 1925 earthquake, Santa Barbara rebuilt much of downtown in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, and the city has protected that look ever since. White stucco, red tile, courtyards and arches are why downtown feels the way it does.
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse and the Old Mission are two of the best examples, and both are worth seeing even if you've lived here for years.
Healthy living: do we live like a Blue Zone?
Blue Zones are five places in the world where people live unusually long, healthy lives: Okinawa, Sardinia, Nicoya, Ikaria and Loma Linda, California. Researchers found the people there share a handful of everyday habits.
Santa Barbara isn't an official Blue Zone, but a lot of those habits are just how people live here.
Blue Zone habit | In Santa Barbara |
|---|---|
Move naturally | Hiking, biking, e-biking, beach walks, almost year-round |
Eat mostly plants | Farmers markets six days a week and farms close by |
Slow down | Trails and the ocean, minutes from home |
Belong | Fiesta, the film festival, rodeos, polo, live music |
Find your people | A community that cares about health, the outdoors and the arts |
Have a purpose | People here show up for nonprofits, the land and each other |
And then there are the people. Ranchers, filmmakers, farmers, artists, entrepreneurs. It's small enough that I run into friends at the market, and I still meet someone new and interesting almost every week. A lot of them have ended up on my podcast, from show jumper Brittnii Raflowitz to Kerri Burns of Santa Barbara Humane, which, as a dog person, is close to my heart.
I didn't move here because of a study. I moved here because this is how I wanted to live.
The best of both worlds
My office is on Coast Village Road in Montecito, just a few minutes from downtown Santa Barbara. Montecito has its own village feel, with tree-lined lanes, local shops and restaurants and the Friday farmers market, and it's still part of everything Santa Barbara has to offer.
Santa Barbara Airport is one of my favorite things about living here. It has Spanish-style architecture, a small aviation history exhibit in the old terminal, and short security lines. Newsweek and USA Today readers both ranked it one of the best small airports in the country in 2025, and AirAdvisor named it the most on-time small airport in the U.S. for 2026. There are nonstop flights to 13 cities, and it's about 10 miles from downtown.
When you need more than that, Los Angeles and LAX are about an hour and a half down the coast, depending on traffic. That's what makes Santa Barbara work for so many people. You can keep your career in entertainment, finance, tech or your own business, stay close to LA when you need to be, and come home to a calmer, healthier, more enjoyable life.
Frequently asked questions
Who ranked Santa Barbara one of the best small cities in the U.S.?
Condé Nast Traveler, in its 2026 Readers' Choice Awards. Santa Barbara ranked #5.
What is the weather like in Santa Barbara?
It's mild most of the year, with warm, dry summers and cool, wetter winters. It does get hot and cold at times, but you can be outside almost every day.
Is Santa Barbara a Blue Zone?
No. The five recognized Blue Zones are Okinawa, Sardinia, Nicoya, Ikaria and Loma Linda. Santa Barbara shares many of the same lifestyle habits.
Are there regenerative farms in Santa Barbara?
Yes. Examples include White Buffalo Land Trust's Jalama Canyon Ranch, La Puma Farms and Wanderment Farms.
How far is Santa Barbara from Los Angeles?
About 90 miles, or roughly an hour and a half by car depending on traffic. Santa Barbara Airport also has nonstop flights to 13 cities.
Why does Santa Barbara have red-tile roofs?
After the 1925 earthquake, the city rebuilt much of downtown in the Spanish Colonial Revival style and has protected that look since.
Is Santa Barbara a good place to move to?
For people who want mild weather, an outdoor lifestyle, great food and culture, and easy access to Los Angeles, it's hard to beat. Condé Nast Traveler readers ranked it the #5 small city in the U.S. for 2026.
What is it like to live in Montecito?
Montecito is just east of Santa Barbara, between the mountains and the ocean. It has a small village center along Coast Village Road, a Friday farmers market, and quick access to downtown Santa Barbara, the beaches and the trails.
Thinking about moving here?
There's so much more to Santa Barbara than I could fit in one post. If you want to know more, whether it's a neighborhood, a trail, a restaurant or what day-to-day life is like here, reach out to me. If you're thinking about moving to Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta, Carpinteria or Summerland, call me at 805.637.4400. I'm happy to show you around. For weekly sales, read The Weekly Read, and if you're buying, start with my free Savvy Buyer's Toolkit.
Sources
- FOX 5 DC: Condé Nast Traveler 2026 best small cities, full list
- Santa Barbara Independent: Santa Barbara Cracks Top Five Best Small Cities in U.S.
- WeatherSpark: Average Weather in Santa Barbara
- Macmillan, The American Promise: Pacific Coast Cultures (Chumash)
- La Puma Farms: Organic Farming
- Wanderment Farms
- Santa Barbara Independent: SBA named most punctual small airport for 2026
- Santa Barbara Airport: 2025 Year in Review
- Islands: California's Less Busy Coastal Airport
- Living in Santa Barbara podcast with Kathy Henry
- Land Trust for Santa Barbara County: a hotspot for biodiversity
- Santa Barbara Botanic Garden: 11 California ecosystems
- KEYT: Santa Barbara County 2025 crop report
- KCBX: White Buffalo Land Trust acquires Jalama Canyon Ranch
- California Sea Grant: Santa Barbara Channel commercial fisheries
- Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market Association
- Blue Zones: The Power 9
Market schedules, flight routes and farm operations can change. Please check before you go.
Kathy Henry is a Broker Associate with Sotheby's International Realty in Montecito and has worked in Santa Barbara real estate for 22 years.
Kathy Henry · Broker Associate
Sotheby's International Realty · Montecito
805.637.4400 · kathyhenry.net
CA DRE #01403548
