Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA Metro Area — Elections 1892–2024

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How it voted

Share of the 2024 vote

Kamala Harris ✓Democratic	61.8%	114,149
Donald TrumpRepublican	35.1%	64,870
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.American Independent	3.1%	5,696

D+60

R+60

A single county, filled by its 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover it for the full result.

County-level results (1 county) — table

2024 presidential result by county for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, CA — winner and D-vs-R margin.
County	Winner	Margin
Santa Barbara County, CA	Democratic	D+26.7

34 presidential elections

Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
Year	Won	Democratic	Republican	Other	Margin	Total
2024	D	61.8%Harris114,149	35.1%Trump64,870	3.1%Kennedy5,696	+26.7%	184,715
2020	D	64.5%Biden129,963	32.6%Trump65,736	2.8%Jorgensen5,733	+31.9%	201,432
2016	D	59.9%Clinton107,142	31.5%Trump56,365	8.6%Johnson15,371	+28.4%	178,878
2012	D	57.4%Obama94,129	39.4%Romney64,606	3.1%Johnson5,150	+18.0%	163,885
2008	D	60.2%Obama105,614	37.4%McCain65,585	2.4%Nader4,208	+22.8%	175,407
2004	D	53.2%Kerry90,314	45.2%Bush76,806	1.6%Badnarik2,741	+8.0%	169,861
2000	D	47.4%Gore73,411	46.1%Bush71,493	6.5%Nader10,070	+1.2%	154,974
1996	D	46.9%Clinton70,650	42.4%Dole63,915	10.7%Perot16,180	+4.5%	150,745
1992	D	42.5%Clinton69,215	35.3%Bush57,375	22.2%Perot36,166	+7.3%	162,756
1988	R	44.5%Dukakis63,586	54.2%Bush77,524	1.3%Paul1,830	−9.8%	142,940
1984	R	36.0%Mondale51,243	62.8%Reagan89,314	1.2%Bergland1,763	−26.8%	142,320
1980	R	31.5%Carter40,650	54.0%Reagan69,629	14.5%Anderson18,716	−22.5%	128,995
1976	R	45.9%Carter55,018	50.8%Ford60,922	3.3%Macbride3,904	−4.9%	119,844
1972	R	41.6%McGovern50,609	55.2%Nixon67,075	3.2%Schmitz3,857	−13.5%	121,541
1968	R	40.2%Humphrey37,565	53.6%Nixon50,068	6.2%Wallace5,787	−13.4%	93,420
1964	D	55.9%Johnson48,381	44.0%Goldwater38,020	0.1%Hass85	+12.0%	86,486
1960	R	43.0%Kennedy29,409	56.7%Nixon38,805	0.3%Byrd188	−13.7%	68,402
1956	R	34.9%Stevenson16,925	64.5%Eisenhower31,294	0.5%Andrews265	−29.6%	48,484
1952	R	32.9%Stevenson14,793	66.7%Eisenhower29,984	0.4%Hallinan166	−33.8%	44,943
1948	R	38.0%Truman13,085	58.1%Dewey19,998	3.8%Thurmond1,317	−20.1%	34,400
1944	D	53.4%Roosevelt15,721	46.3%Dewey13,647	0.3%Thomas89	+7.0%	29,457
1940	D	54.4%Roosevelt17,237	44.5%Willkie14,107	1.1%Thomas334	+9.9%	31,678
1936	D	61.1%Roosevelt15,923	37.4%Landon9,728	1.5%Lemke394	+23.8%	26,045
1932	D	57.4%Roosevelt13,373	38.1%Hoover8,864	4.5%Thomas1,054	+19.4%	23,291
1928	R	29.5%Smith4,954	69.4%Hoover11,666	1.1%Thomas179	−40.0%	16,799
1924	R	9.3%Davis1,242	64.7%Coolidge8,615	26.0%La Follette3,461	−55.4%	13,318
1920	R	25.0%Cox2,586	67.5%Harding6,970	7.5%Debs773	−42.4%	10,329
1916	D	49.7%Wilson5,198	42.5%Hughes4,453	7.8%Benson818	+7.1%	10,469
1912	O	38.8%Wilson2,819	0.0%Taft0	61.2%Roosevelt4,439	Roosevelt +22.3	7,258
1908	R	33.4%Bryan1,640	55.2%Taft2,713	11.5%Debs563	−21.8%	4,916
1904	R	27.1%Parker1,152	62.8%Roosevelt2,676	10.1%Debs430	−35.8%	4,258
1900	R	42.3%Bryan1,599	52.6%McKinley1,988	5.1%Woolley194	−10.3%	3,781
1896	R	47.3%Bryan1,916	49.5%McKinley2,004	3.2%Palmer130	−2.2%	4,050
1892	R	34.9%Cleveland1,228	42.1%Harrison1,483	23.0%Weaver810	−7.2%	3,521

presidential history

Presidential margin, 1892–2024

Democratic minus Republican, by election

Presidential margin over time
Year	Margin (D minus R)
1892	−7.2%
1896	−2.2%
1900	−10.3%
1904	−35.8%
1908	−21.8%
1912	+38.8%
1916	+7.1%
1920	−42.4%
1924	−55.4%
1928	−40.0%
1932	+19.4%
1936	+23.8%
1940	+9.9%
1944	+7.0%
1948	−20.1%
1952	−33.8%
1956	−29.6%
1960	−13.7%
1964	+12.0%
1968	−13.4%
1972	−13.5%
1976	−4.9%
1980	−22.5%
1984	−26.8%
1988	−9.8%
1992	+7.3%
1996	+4.5%
2000	+1.2%
2004	+8.0%
2008	+22.8%
2012	+18.0%
2016	+28.4%
2020	+31.9%
2024	+26.7%

DemocraticRepublican

voter registration

Registered voters

By party of registration, over time

DemocraticRepublicanUnaffiliatedOther parties

Voter registration in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Year	Total registered	Democratic	Republican	Unaffiliated	Other
2022	234,759	110,719	58,185	49,089	16,766
2024	238,947	111,609	60,188	48,986	18,164

Source: California Secretary of State

Santa Barbara and Santa Maria sit at opposite demographic poles — an affluent coastal enclave and a majority-Latino agricultural hub — yet together they produced one of California's widest 2024 presidential margins at D+89.3 points.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 38.8 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 55.4 points in 1924. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 5.2 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 26.7 points.

A population of 443,701, a 41% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $98,161 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Salinas, CA.

Political twins — metros

The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

95.3twin score

12-yr trend2016–2024 trajectory≠ median age

Salinas, CA

93.3twin score

2016–2024 trajectorymedian income≠ 12-yr trend

Napa, CA

93.1twin score

2016–2024 trajectory12-yr trend≠ median age

Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

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All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/42200/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.

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Places within Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

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Santa Barbara County

Frequently asked questions

How did Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California vote in 2024?

In 2024, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California voted Democratic by 26.7 points (D+26.7), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 184,715 votes cast, 114,149 went Democratic and 64,870 went Republican.

When did Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California last vote Republican?

The most recent presidential election in which Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California voted Republican was 1988.

How many people live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California?

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California has a population of 443,701 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.

What is the median household income in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California?

Median household income in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California is $98,161 — above the national median of $80,734. The California state median is $99,122.

What is the political history of Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California?

Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, California from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 15 went Democratic and 18 went Republican.