NAICS 62

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Metro Market Score 45.9 (Moderate), ranked #104 of 248 metros. 5,262 establishments, 28,097 jobs.

Metro Market Score 45.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national healthcare and social assistance average.

💰High-Cost Market🌱Emerging Market

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara ranks in the upper half for healthcare and social assistance market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 45.9, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

24.2

LQ: 0.91

Rank #60 of 248 metros

Wage Competitiveness

85.5

$69,623 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 67.7

Employment growth index

Rank #81 of 248 metros

Wage Pressure

43.8

YoY wage change index

5,262 Healthcare and Social Assistance Firms in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

5,262

Establishments

+13.6% YoY

28,097

Total Employment

+4.5% YoY

$69,623

Average Annual Wage

+3.7% YoY

0.91

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within California

#18 of 24

healthcare and social assistance metros in state

California state rank

#49 of 51

for healthcare and social assistance entry risk

vs State Median

+8.8

worse than median (37.1)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara vs California Statewide

How this metro's healthcare and social assistance market compares to California overall. The state ranks #49/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	CA Statewide
Overall Score	45.9 Moderate	54.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#104 of 248 metros	#49 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

Construction 39.1 Finance and Insurance 42.6 Retail Trade 51.6 Other Services 54.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 61.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 65.8 Administrative and Support Services 76.0 Information 78.0 Accommodation and Food Services 84.9

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other California Metros

Visalia 15.8 #4/248 Merced 17.5 #6/248 Bakersfield-Delano 18.6 #7/248 El Centro 21.7 #8/248 Stockton-Lodi 26.8 #14/248 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura 26.9 #15/248 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 27.0 #16/248 Hanford-Corcoran 31.8 #26/248 Salinas 32.3 #30/248 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles 34.9 #41/248

+ 13 more metros. View all in California →

Healthcare and Social Assistance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Santa Maria-Santa Barbara's 45.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Midland, MI 46.0 #105/248 Laredo, TX 46.0 #106/248 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA 45.7 #103/248 Elmira, NY 45.6 #102/248 Savannah, GA 46.2 #107/248 Akron, OH 46.4 #108/248 Chico, CA 45.3 #101/248 Naples-Marco Island, FL 45.1 #100/248 Vineland, NJ 45.0 #99/248 Michigan City-La Porte, IN 46.8 #109/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance in States Bordering California

State-level entry risk for healthcare and social assistance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Nevada 37.2 #22/51 Arizona 44.1 #32/51 Oregon 55.6 #50/51

Browse Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for healthcare and social assistance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Santa Maria-Santa Barbara's healthcare and social assistance sector, the wage competitiveness component (85.5) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment