Adult Disability Care in Santa Barbara, CA: In-Home Support

Local figures

Disability Care for Adults in Santa Barbara, CA: the local picture

8.7%

of residents aged 18 to 64 have a disability (9.1% in Santa Barbara County)

1,495

residents aged 18 to 64 have difficulty doing errands alone

7.9%

of households have no vehicle (5.9% in Santa Barbara County)

63

Medicare-certified home health agencies list Santa Barbara ZIP codes in their service area

About 4,733 Santa Barbara residents aged 18 to 64 report a disability (8.7%; 9.1% in Santa Barbara County).

1,495 of them have difficulty doing errands such as shopping or visiting a doctor alone, the kind of help a support caregiver gives.

7.9% of Santa Barbara households have no vehicle (5.9% in Santa Barbara County); say in your posting if you need a caregiver who drives.

Santa Barbara compared with Santa Barbara County and California

Census figure	Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara County	California
Residents 18 to 64 with a disability	8.7%	9.1%	8.8%
Residents 18 to 64 with difficulty doing errands alone	2.8%	2.7%	3.3%
Households with no vehicle	7.9%	5.9%	7.1%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	31%	41%	44%
Residents 65+ with a disability	27%	30%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	9.8%	9.5%	12%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$83,371	$81,399	—

Older residents in towns around Santa Barbara

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Disability (18 to 64)
Montecito, CA	4.7 mi	3,021	4.0%
Eastern Goleta Valley, CA	4.9 mi	6,940	7.4%
University of California-Santa Barbara, CA	7.6 mi	79	11%
Isla Vista, CA	8.4 mi	326	7.6%
Goleta, CA	8.6 mi	5,293	6.0%
Carpinteria, CA	12 mi	3,174	5.6%

Home health agencies serving Santa Barbara

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Intra Care Home Health Sfv Inc.	Calabasas, CA	63 mi	5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(818) 609-8884
Be Healthy Home Health Care, Inc	Mission Hills, CA	72 mi	5 of 5	—	(818) 798-5530
Access Tlc Home Health Care	San Fernando, CA	73 mi	5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(818) 551-1900
First Signature Home Health Care, Inc.	Glendale, CA	86 mi	5 of 5	—	(760) 254-8460
Assisted Home Health	Santa Barbara, CA	1.2 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(805) 569-2000

Straight-line miles from the center of Santa Barbara. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a disability support caregiver can help with

Personal care, on the person’s terms
Cooking, shopping and housekeeping
Getting to work, school, appointments and activities
Keeping routines the person sets

Cost

What disability care for adults costs in Santa Barbara

At the California minimum wage of $16.90 an hour (the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is now below it), 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,465 a month in wages, which is 21% of the $6,948 monthly median income of Santa Barbara households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see How to get paid to care for a family member in California: IHSS, VA, Paid Family Leave.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a disability support caregiver

Many state Medicaid programs let adults with disabilities direct their own care: they, or a representative, hire and supervise the caregiver.

Questions worth asking: Have you supported adults with a disability like mine (or my family member’s)? How do you support someone to do things themselves? Can you drive to work, school or day programs? More in our disability care for adults guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Disability Care for Adults in Santa Barbara: common questions

How much does disability care for adults cost in Santa Barbara?

At the California minimum wage of $16.90 an hour (the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is now below it), 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,465 a month in wages, which is 21% of the $6,948 monthly median income of Santa Barbara households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Can an adult with a disability hire their own caregiver?

Yes. Many state Medicaid programs offer self-direction, where the person or a representative hires and supervises the caregiver. Our guide How to get paid to care for a family member in California: IHSS, VA, Paid Family Leave covers California.

More near Santa Barbara

More senior care near Santa Barbara

Disability Care for Adults in nearby cities

Other care in Santa Barbara

More for Santa Barbara families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

In-Home Support for Adults With Disabilities in Santa Barbara, CA