Table from the U.S. Census Bureau

For more demographic information on Goleta, please visit the United States Census Bureau

For information on City staff demographics, click here.

Goleta has a mediterranean climate influenced by maritime winds from the Pacific Ocean with moderate average temperatures. Due to brief spells of winds from the interior, the warmest temperature on record is 109 °F (43 °C) and the coldest is 20 °F (−7 °C). That is a relatively large thermal span for a shoreline town.

Chilly days and warm nights are rare. The coldest maximum temperature on record is 45 °F (7 °C) in 1949 with the annual average between 1991 and 2020 being 54 °F (12 °C). The warmest night measured is a freak event of 81 °F (27 °C) during a heat snap in 1979, a full 10 °F (5.6 °C) warmer than the second warmest night on record.  During a regular year, the warmest night is at a mild 65 °F (18 °C).

Until the early 1700s, the Goleta Valley area was populated by the native Chumash people. In the late 1700s two Spanish expeditions came to the area and founded the Santa Barbara Mission and the Presidio. To support army operations, dense oak forests were cut down in the Goleta Valley to support cattle grazing and farming. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, former Presidio soldiers who were granted land by the Mexican government turned the Goleta Valley area into a prominent lemon-growing region. In addition, several areas, especially the Ellwood Mesa, were developed for oil and natural gas extraction.

With the construction of U.S. Highway 101 in 1947, Cachuma Dam in 1950, and University of California, Santa Barbara moving to area in 1954, the Goleta Valley saw a great deal of growth and transitioned from a rural-agriculture community to a suburban area of ranch style tract homes and defense-related research and aerospace firms.

Goleta was incorporated as a City in 2002 after a long period as the largest unincorporated populated area in Santa Barbara County. Watch our 20-Year Reflections Video to learn the story of how the City of Goleta came to be. You will hear from former and current Mayors, Councilmembers and even the first City Manager as they reminisce about how a dream became a reality, what they love about the Good Land, and what their hopes and dreams are for the future of Goleta.

The City of Goleta is served by the Goleta Union School District for elementary education K-6. Of the nine schools in Goleta Union School District, four are in the City of Goleta: Brandon, Ellwood, Kellogg, and La Patera. Santa Barbara Charter School, located on the campus of Goleta Valley Junior High, is a public school within the Santa Barbara Elementary School District.

The Santa Barbara Unified School District oversees Goleta Valley Junior High (7-8), and Dos Pueblos High School (9-12) which serve Goleta children.

There are also a number of private elementary and secondary schools located in the City of Goleta. 

Goleta is located adjacent to the University of California, Santa Barbara, which is home to six Nobel Prize winners and is one of the leading research universities in America. As a result, the community hosts a number of high technology businesses specializing in aerospace, nanotechnology, environmental science, biochemistry, and information technology.

Elementary Schools (Goleta Union School District)

Brandon School
195 Brandon Drive
(805) 571-3770

Ellwood Schoo
7686 Hollister Avenue
(805) 571-3774

Kellogg School
475 Cambridge Drive
(805) 681-1277

La Patera Schoo
555 N. La Patera Lane
(805) 681-1280

Junior High and High Schools (Santa Barbara School Districts)

Goleta Valley Junior High
6100 Stow Canyon Road
(805) 967-3486

Dos Pueblos High School
7266 Alameda Avenue
(805) 968-2541

K-8 Schools

Santa Barbara Charter School
6100 Stow Canyon Road
(805) 967-6522