Is Santa Barbara Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Santa Barbara, is generally considered safe for solo female travelers. Like any city, there can still be dangers, depending on specific areas and times. However, common protocols such as not wandering alone late at night and securing your belongings can drastically lower your risk. The city has a relatively low crime rate, friendly locals, and a strong police presence. Always trust your instincts and stay aware of your surroundings to maintain your safety.

Safety rating

4.5 /5

Based on our research and crime data

3.7 /5

Based on 4 experiences from local women

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How safe is Santa Barbara?

Safety at night:Safe

Santa Barbara overall is a safe and friendly city with a low crime rate. However, like any tourist destination, it's always wise to be cautious and aware of your surroundings, especially at night. Stick to well-populated areas and major streets where restaurants and shops are still open. Always let someone know your whereabouts if you're out alone at night. Public transportation is reliable, so use it when possible. Emergency services are also highly responsive.

Public transportation:Safe

Santa Barbara is generally a safe destination for solo female travelers and this includes its public transportation. Buses are timely and connect all major areas of the town. There are also ample taxi services and ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft are readily accessible. Despite this, it's best to stay alert during late night travels. Overall, most travelers find Santa Barbara's public transportation reliable and feel pretty secure while using it.

Street harassment:Low

Santa Barbara generally has a reputation for being quite safe and friendly. It's a beach town predominantly filled with students, tourists, and friendly locals. Street harassment is relatively infrequent and problems are not common, but of course, like in any urban area, it's important to always remain aware of one's surroundings and be careful especially during the night.

Petty crimes:Low

Santa Barbara is generally a safe city with relatively low petty crime rates compared to other U.S cities. However, like any other city, there can be occasional instances of opportunistic crimes such as pickpocketing or bag snatching in crowded areas or unattended items. It's always important to stay vigilant and use common sense to prevent these situations such as not leaving valuables in plain sight in a vehicle or not walking alone late at night in desolated areas. Notwithstanding, Santa Barbara is considered relatively secure.

Is Santa Barbara worth visiting?

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Is Santa Barbara safe for women?

Safety index

3.7 /5

Based on 4 local experiences

Crime index

1.2 /5

Based on 4 local experiences

It’s a beautiful sunny beach city! Being near a college and being a young woman, assault and safety is always on the mind at night of course. But, besides that, I have lived here for years and have always felt safe to walk around alone

Posted: January 8, 2025

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Santa Barbara is a very touristy area, so generally pretty safe. Like everywhere in the world there are some more 'sketchy' areas, but I would never say that I have felt incredibly unsafe. There's good nightlife and many people (especially on state street) that will get involved if they see any kind of harassment.

Posted: July 21, 2024

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Meet locals in Santa Barbara

Micaela

About Me

hi! my name is micaela and i am a yoga instructor, singer & grad student 💛 i will be in india and italy this summer and would love recommendations :) i would also be happy to connect and show anyone around santa barbara if you are in the area!

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Stacy

About Me

Hey, My name is Stacy and I'm interested in animals, backpacking, camping, dancing, culture, education, events & social, hiking, history, live music, languages, nightlife, sightseeing, solo travel, shopping, sunbathing, swimming and health