Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Potential Move To Hope Ranch Has Neighbors Nervous

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's potential move up the road to an even more exclusive spot in Santa Barbara is cranking up the angst among the locals already ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the Homeowners Association (HOA) at Hope Ranch -- a super exclusive SB community  -- tell us there are a number of folks in that community who are fretting over Harry and Meg coming there ... because of all the baggage that comes with them.

We're told nobody in Hope Ranch holds ill will toward the Sussexes personally, but the fact is ... many feel they're going to bring a circus to their quiet, super-private burb ... since they're so famous and controversial, and our sources say that can present very real-world problems.

One of the issues worrying some Hope Ranch residents has to do with traffic as a result of PH and MM's presence. Traffic has always been an issue in Santa Barbara, where residents for decades have tried to protect their community from an influx of cars.

The roads there are narrow and winding, and with would-be paps flocking to snap the Royals ... some residents fear it could create peril, especially for kids who are playing and walking to school.

While there's certainly a lot of richies living at Hope Ranch, none of them are quite as high-profile as Harry and Meghan ... and we're told them coming in is stressing out a good number of the villagers.

As for their current Montecito neighbors, we talked to a few who've had no issues with the Royals being in their backyard.