Although many residents work locally, growing numbers commute to Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Santa Maria and even Los Angeles. Lifestyles in Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley are reminiscent of bygone eras.
Bicycles are a frequent mode of transportation.
Late night strolls are not a life-threatening adventure, alarms are an infrequent sound and usually a mistake. Businesses typically close in the early evening, and there are no 24 hour supermarkets in the Valley. The local newspaper, The Santa Ynez Valley News, is published weekly, carries no national news and focuses on local people and events. Each of the five communities has its own elementary school district from K-8 that articulates into the single high school of approximately 1,200 students. Santa Ynez Valley Union High School offers a varied curriculum to its students from Agricultural Science programs to Advanced Placement Classes for University-bound students.