Ballard is a community in Santa Barbara County, California, home to about 863 people across 2.8 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 93460 and 93463.
Homes sold for a median of $658 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Santa Ynez; part is in Ballard
Mostly Solvang; part is in Ballard
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Ballard. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Ballard’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR)106 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA)23 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Bakersfield, CA79 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA107 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Ballard; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Ballard had 768 residents in the 2020 census, up 64% since 2010.
It’s the 1106th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
Santa Barbara County grew from 18,934 residents in 1900 to 448,229 in 2020.
Santa Barbara County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 93°F in summer, and winter lows average 33°F. About 21.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cachuma Lake, CA weather station (10 miles away).
160,460 jobs at 12,484 businesses in Santa Barbara County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
153 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Ballard’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 22 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 21 |
| Dentists | 17 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 9 |
| Mental health providers | 53 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 23 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 3 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Ballard Elementary, College Elementary, Santa Ynez Valley Charter District and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard ElementarySolvang | K–6 | 113 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| College ElementarySanta Ynez | K | 28 | Public | 3.6 mi |
| Santa Ynez Valley CharterSanta Ynez | K–8 | 189 | Charter | 3.6 mi |
| Solvang ElementarySolvang | K–8 | 602 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Santa Ynez ElementarySanta Ynez | 1–8 | 147 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| Refugio HighSolvang | 9–12 | 11 | Alternative Education | 3.2 mi |
| Santa Ynez Valley Union HighSolvang | 9–12 | 801 | Public | 3.2 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ynez Valley Christian AcSanta Ynez | Pre-K–8 | 136 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 3.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Solvang and Santa Ynez.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.