Is Santa Barbara safe for solo female travelers?

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

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.

Santa Barba is like most places, be alert of your surroundings. The homeless problem has gotten worse recently and State St by the Marshall's is a hub for catcallers and people who may follow you. If you walk when there are still people around, it's relatively safe and people will let you walk with them. The rest of Santa Barbara (not Isla Vista) is very safe, just stay aware of your surroundings.