What kinds of homes are in Santa Barbara, CA?

Name: Types of homes in Santa Barbara, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Santa Barbara, CA has 39,204 (±655) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 2,012 homes per square mile of land.

45.8% are detached single-family houses.

14.1% are in buildings of two to four units.

29.9% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 39,204 (±655)
Detached houses: 45.8%
2–4 unit buildings: 14.1%
5+ unit buildings: 29.9%

Homes in Santa Barbara by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara County	California	United States
Single-family, detached	45.8% (±2.0 points)	56.1%	57.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	9.5% (±1.4 points)	8.3%	7.4%	6.2%
2 units	6.3% (±1.1 points)	3.4%	2.4%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	7.8% (±1.0 points)	5.9%	5.4%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	8.8% (±1.2 points)	7.1%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	8.9% (±1.3 points)	6.0%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	12.2% (±1.4 points)	8.6%	13.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.6% (±0.3 points)	4.6%	3.5%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%

In Santa Barbara, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Santa Barbara County (21.7%).

It is also higher than in California (24.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Santa Barbara

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Santa Barbara
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Santa Barbara	—	29.9% (±2.3 points)	—
Mission Canyon	3.6 mi	0.0% (±7.3 points)	Lower
Montecito	4.7 mi	7.9% (±2.5 points)	Lower
Eastern Goleta Valley	4.9 mi	7.5% (±2.2 points)	Lower
Summerland	7.3 mi	12.3% (±15.0 points)	Lower
University of California-Santa Barbara	7.6 mi	58.9% (±12.3 points)	Higher
Isla Vista	8.4 mi	71.7% (±8.0 points)	Higher
Goleta	8.6 mi	31.3% (±3.8 points)	Not measurably different
Toro Canyon	8.8 mi	13.5% (±9.5 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Mission Canyon, CA (0.0%), Montecito, CA (7.9%), Eastern Goleta Valley, CA (7.5%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: University of California-Santa Barbara, CA (58.9%), Isla Vista, CA (71.7%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Santa Barbara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Isla Vista	71.7% (±8.0 points)
2	University of California-Santa Barbara	58.9% (±12.3 points)
3	Goleta	31.3% (±3.8 points)
4	Santa Barbara	29.9% (±2.3 points)
5	Carpinteria	29.3% (±6.4 points)
6	Solvang	26.7% (±9.5 points)
7	Santa Maria	20.8% (±2.3 points)
8	Lompoc	20.4% (±3.0 points)
9	Buellton	14.6% (±8.4 points)
10	Toro Canyon	13.5% (±9.5 points)

Showing 10 of 22 places in Santa Barbara County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Santa Barbara

How many homes are in Santa Barbara?

Santa Barbara, CA has an estimated 39,204 (±655) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Santa Barbara houses or apartments?

45.8% are detached houses and 9.5% attached houses, while 44.0% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Santa Barbara?

14.1% of homes in Santa Barbara are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California

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 API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

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.