Housing data for Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara, CA has an estimated 87,779 residents and 39,204 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Santa Barbara County.
60.1% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,413 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−3.9%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 87,779 (±52)
- Housing units
- 39,204 (±655)
- Households that rent
- 60.1%
- Median gross rent
- $2,413
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −3.9%
What stands out in Santa Barbara
Median home value: $1,570,800 (±$58,636) in Santa Barbara, higher than in Santa Barbara County ($790,700).
Median real estate taxes: $7,498 (±$497) in Santa Barbara, higher than in Santa Barbara County ($5,103).
Working from home: 18.9% (±1.8 points) in Santa Barbara, higher than in Santa Barbara County (13.4%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 29.9% (±2.3 points) in Santa Barbara, higher than in Santa Barbara County (21.7%).
- Home values in Santa Barbara
- Property taxes in Santa Barbara
- Commute and cars in Santa Barbara
- Types of homes in Santa Barbara
Housing in Santa Barbara at a glance
- Median rent: $2,413 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,772 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 55.7% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 60.1% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $106,182 median household income
- Home values: $1,570,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $3,841 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $7,498 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 29.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 38.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 73.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 2.9% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 63.9% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 17.3 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 634 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −3.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 27.8% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 7.4% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Santa Barbara against Santa Barbara County, its state and the nation
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 87,779 (±52) | 443,701 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 39,204 (±655) | 160,592 (±195) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 60.1% (±1.8 points) | 47.6% (±0.9 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,413 (±$62) | $2,131 (±$35) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $106,182 (±$5,647) | $98,161 (±$2,430) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,570,800 (±$58,636) | $790,700 (±$17,571) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $7,498 (±$497) | $5,103 (±$149) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 73.5% (±3.1 points) | 60.0% (±1.3 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 17.3 minutes (±0.8) | 20.8 minutes (±0.4) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 93.9% (±0.9 points) | 92.5% (±0.5 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 39.7 years (±1.1) | 34.6 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Santa Barbara covers 19.5 square miles of land, about 4,504 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Santa Barbara has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 91,376 (±49) | 87,779 (±52) | −3.9% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 39,932 (±806) | 39,204 (±655) | −1.8% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,786 (±$37) | $2,413 (±$62) | +35.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $1,051,500 (±$29,589) | $1,570,800 (±$58,636) | +49.4% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $76,606 (±$3,015) | $106,182 (±$5,647) | +38.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $3,193 (±$135) | $3,841 (±$160) | +20.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $5,490 (±$306) | $7,498 (±$497) | +36.6% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 59.3% (±1.4 points) | 60.1% (±1.8 points) | +0.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.7% (±0.8 points) | 2.9% (±0.9 points) | +1.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Santa Barbara
In 2025, the Santa Barbara Police Department reported 634 violent and 1,668 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Santa Barbara County, the departments that report recorded 419 violent and 1,255 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Santa Barbara
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93101 | 100% | 31,554 | $2,250 | $1,184,000 | $90,148 |
| 93109 | 95% | 10,915 | $2,823 | $1,882,500 | $123,347 |
| 93103 | 82% | 19,382 | $2,587 | $1,663,600 | $122,159 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Santa Barbara
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Canyon | 3.6 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 28.9% |
| Montecito | 4.7 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 24.2% |
| Eastern Goleta Valley | 4.9 mi | $2,964 | $1,361,700 | 25.4% |
| Summerland | 7.3 mi | — | $2,000,000 or more | 35.7% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | 7.6 mi | $1,526 | $452,900 | 85.3% |
| Isla Vista | 8.4 mi | $1,878 | $1,218,800 | 98.8% |
| Goleta | 8.6 mi | $2,437 | $1,062,100 | 49.3% |
| Toro Canyon | 8.8 mi | $2,179 | $2,000,000 or more | 14.1% |
Places in California most like Santa Barbara
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey | $2,353 | $1,076,300 | $102,846 | 63.8% |
| Costa Mesa | $2,446 | $1,115,100 | $111,505 | 60.4% |
| Twin Lakes | $2,344 | $959,100 | $90,087 | 59.2% |
| Goleta | $2,437 | $1,062,100 | $122,370 | 49.3% |
| East Palo Alto | $2,244 | $1,102,600 | $113,493 | 50.9% |
| Santa Cruz | $2,452 | $1,209,000 | $115,475 | 51.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Santa Barbara, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,479 | $2,711 | $3,106 | $3,990 | $4,557 |
HUD income limits for Santa Barbara, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $38,300 | $63,750 | $102,000 |
| 2 people | $43,750 | $72,850 | $116,600 |
| 3 people | $49,200 | $81,950 | $131,150 |
| 4 people | $54,650 | $91,050 | $145,700 |
| 5 people | $59,050 | $98,350 | $157,400 |
| 6 people | $63,400 | $105,650 | $169,050 |
| 7 people | $67,800 | $112,950 | $180,700 |
| 8 people | $72,150 | $120,200 | $192,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $118,600.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Santa Barbara
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Santa Barbara beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Santa Barbara, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Santa Barbara, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Santa Barbara
What is the average rent in Santa Barbara, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Santa Barbara is $2,413 (±$62) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Santa Barbara, CA is $2,111 (±$67) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Santa Barbara rent-burdened?
55.7% of renting households in Santa Barbara pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara has an estimated 21,825 (±818) renting households, 60.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Santa Barbara?
The median household income in Santa Barbara is $106,182 (±$5,647) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Santa Barbara, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,570,800 (±$58,636) for owner-occupied homes in Santa Barbara (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Santa Barbara growing?
In Santa Barbara, the number of residents went from 91,376 in 2015–2019 to 87,779 in 2020–2024 (−3.9%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Santa Barbara?
The ZIP codes that cover Santa Barbara are 93101, 93109, 93103.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 93101?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 93101 is $2,250 (±$80) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Santa Barbara Police Department (ORI CA0420300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Santa Barbara city, California (place:69070, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .