Find Santa Barbara County veterans services in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. Compare the published contact details and schedules below before choosing a location.
If you live in Santa Barbara County, you can get free claims help from an accredited VSO representative through Santa Barbara County Veterans Services in Santa Barbara or Santa Maria. Call to confirm hours, appointments, and the appointment location before traveling. CalVet provides information and referrals, not accredited claims help; tell them your county and ask for the current local or regional claims contact. The Santa Barbara VA Clinic is 16 miles from the county center, measured in a straight line. About 5,900 veterans served in the Vietnam era only, give or take 502; Agent Orange exposure questions depend on where and when you served. Qualifying California veterans rated or compensated at 100 percent, including individual unemployability, receive an annually adjusted basic residence exemption; other eligibility and application conditions apply, so check the linked state page.
County veterans services
County veterans benefits and claims assistance. County resource guide lists this office. Confirm the appointment location before visiting.
315 Camino del Remedio, Building 3, Room 251, Santa Barbara, CACall to confirm hours and appointments.
County veterans services
County veterans benefits and claims assistance. The county resource guide lists Foster Road; the city directory lists a different address. Confirm the location with the office before traveling.
624 W. Foster Road, Suite A, Santa Maria, CACall to confirm hours and appointments.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the California directory.
Santa Barbara: Call to confirm hours and appointments. Santa Maria: Call to confirm hours and appointments. County resource guide lists this office. Confirm the appointment location before visiting.
Official service and access information (opens in a new tab) · Official service and access information (opens in a new tab) · Official service and access information (opens in a new tab)
Call the Claim Raven 24-hour VSO prep line to get your records ready before your appointment. Claim Raven is not a VSO office. Your VSO's number is listed above.
Call (833) 387-1649The ACS estimates about 15,800, give or take 890 civilian veterans in Santa Barbara County.
By ACS estimates, Santa Barbara County has the 20th largest veteran population among California's 58 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Santa Barbara County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 26 percent below the California share; below the national share. | 29 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 9 percent below the California share; below the national share. | 12 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in Santa Barbara County number about 5,670, give or take 341; their 36 percent share is above California's 30 percent.
Santa Barbara County has about 1,330, give or take 359 veterans under 35, making up 8 percent of its veterans compared with 10 percent in California.
Santa Barbara County has about 1,400, give or take 237 women veterans; both the county and California round to a 9 percent share.
| Measure | Santa Barbara County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $62,919 ± $3,123 | $59,258 ± $574 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $39,323 ± $867 | $43,129 ± $137 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 5.6% ± 1.1 points | 8.0% ± 0.2 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 31.7% ± 2.5 points | 30.5% ± 0.3 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 71.5% ± 4.9 points | 72.5% ± 0.5 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 4.7% ± 2.4 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 95.6% ± 0.8 points | 95.2% ± 0.1 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 35.7% ± 3.2 points | 35.4% ± 0.4 points | 31.8% ± 0.2 points |
Income is in 2024 dollars. These figures describe civilians. Poverty and disability shares use veterans whose poverty status is determined. Census disability measures daily functioning, not a VA service-connected rating. Tables and method.
VA projects fewer veterans here in 2035: about 11,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 16,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 6,034 veterans in Santa Barbara County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 1,386 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 640 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 655 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 1,695 |
| 100 percent | 1,658 |
FY2019: 5,802 recipients. Change to FY2025: +232.
VA does not publish some small counts. Those show as “Not published.” VA county compensation data (opens in a new tab).
In 2025, lenders reported 298 VA-backed home loans out of 5,402 home loans made in Santa Barbara County (5.5% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $687,000.
The 2026 FHFA one-unit county loan limit here is $941,850. This limit matters for a VA loan only when part of your entitlement is still tied to another VA loan. VA explains remaining entitlement and loan limits (opens in a new tab).
The largest reported service groups are Vietnam era only (about 5,900, give or take 502) and post-9/11 only (about 2,300, give or take 422).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $161.1 million in compensation and pension spending and about $83.3 million in medical care spending in Santa Barbara County for FY2025.
Sepulveda VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
16111 Plummer Street, Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center, Sepulveda, CA 91343-2036
New-patient wait for mental health: 51 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 52 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 91 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Santa Barbara VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
4440 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93110-1002
New-patient wait for primary care: 42 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 16 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Ventura Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
790 East Santa Clara Avenue, Suite 100, Ventura, CA 93001
about 46 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Los Angeles VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Federal Building, Los Angeles, CA 90024
about 97 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Santa Barbara County is West Los Angeles VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Los Angeles, CA, about 96 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Santa Barbara County is San Luis Obispo Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in San Luis Obispo, CA, about 61 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Oakland RO (station 343) and Los Angeles RO (station 344) and San Diego RO (station 377); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Bakersfield National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
30338 E Bear Mountain Boulevard Arvin, CA 93203
661-867-2250
About 92.2 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
2900 Parker Flats Rd Seaside, CA 93955
831-393-9371
About 175.6 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
State veterans cemeteries set their own eligibility rules.
National Cemetery Administration lists checked October 2, 2026. Cemetery coverage and distance method.
Military branch is not listed in the USACE FY2024 property data.
These lists use site points within county boundaries. A site may extend into another county.
For VA’s service-location rules, see the presumptive conditions list. A location listing does not establish personal exposure or eligibility.
On one night in January 2024, Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County CoC counted 90 veterans experiencing homelessness (29 sheltered, 61 unsheltered).
CA-603 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 114 veterans for the 2019 comparison.
This is a one-night count for the whole CoC area, not a county or annual total. CoC mapping method.
If you need housing help, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. You can call any time, day or night.
Your nearest VA medical center by straight-line distance is Sepulveda VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 818-891-7711. Ask for the homeless coordinator.
VA's FY2026 Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) intake list names these providers. About VA SSVF (opens in a new tab).
The National Treatment Court Resource Center lists 2 veterans treatment courts in Santa Barbara County as of December 31, 2025.
These courts connect participating veterans involved in the justice system with treatment and support. Each court sets its own eligibility rules. National Treatment Court Resource Center maps (opens in a new tab).
Census incorporated places and census-designated places, sorted by ACS 2020-2024 population. Figures are ACS estimates for the whole place, not only the part inside this county. Places are assigned by their 2024 Census internal point and may cross county boundaries. Sources and mapping method.
For the Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 then press 1. VA crisis support (opens in a new tab)
Qualifying California veterans rated or compensated at 100 percent receive an annually adjusted basic residence exemption.
California Plan A waives public college system tuition and fees for eligible children of qualifying totally service-connected disabled veterans.
Ask the office about VA Form 21-0966 to preserve a potential benefits start date while gathering evidence. Check your intent to file deadline.
ACS 2020-2024; VA FY2025; geography/locations/benefits 2026; adjacency 2024. Distances: straight line from county center. The summary paragraph was drafted by AI from the facts on this page and checked automatically against them. Full method.
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
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