🛡️SAFER GROUND series

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An upscale coastal paradise with world-class amenities and resilience resources — if you can afford it.

• Population: ~90,000
• Climate Type: Coastal Mediterranean (mild, sunny year-round)
• Median Home Price: ~$1.5M  (2025)
• Cost of Living: 95  (0 Low - 100 High)                                                       

• Mild Mediterranean climate, with few extreme weather events.
• Coastal moderation prevents both scorching summers and harsh winters.
• Strong adaptation planning: desalination plant for water, fire resilience programs, city-level sustainability initiatives.
• Highly walkable, with access to beaches, mountains, and cultural amenities.
• Strong healthcare, schools, and university presence (UC Santa Barbara).
• Affluent tax base provides resources for adaptation and infrastructure investment.

• One of the most expensive housing markets in the U.S. (median > $1.5M).
• Wildfire risk remains high in foothill communities (e.g., Montecito).
• Water scarcity continues to be a challenge despite desalination reliance.
• Sea-level rise poses risks to parts of the waterfront and infrastructure.
• Earthquake risk from local fault systems.