How much are property taxes in Santa Barbara, CA?
Homeowners in Santa Barbara, CA pay a median of $7,498 (±$497) a year in real estate taxes (2020–2024 American Community Survey, table B25103).
Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $8,506.
Homes without a mortgage pay a median of $5,681.
That is about 0.5% of the median home value of $1,570,800.
In Santa Barbara, the median real estate tax went from $5,490 in 2015–2019 to $7,498 in 2020–2024 (+36.6%).
Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it rose faster than prices: a measurable increase after inflation.
Figures last updated on .
- Median real estate taxes
- $7,498 (±$497)
- With a mortgage
- $8,506
- Without a mortgage
- $5,681
- Share of median value
- 0.5%
Real estate taxes in Santa Barbara against Santa Barbara County, its state and the nation
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes | $7,498 (±$497) | $5,103 (±$149) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Homes with a mortgage | $8,506 (±$657) | $5,735 (±$165) | $5,839 (±$17) | $3,489 |
| Homes without a mortgage | $5,681 (±$702) | $3,913 (±$220) | $3,825 (±$19) | $2,576 |
| Median home value | $1,570,800 (±$58,636) | $790,700 (±$17,571) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
In Santa Barbara, the median real estate tax is higher than in Santa Barbara County ($5,103).
It is also higher than in California ($5,124).
It is higher than the national figure ($3,119).
In Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara ranks 8 of 21 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest median real estate taxes.
Statewide, it ranks 201 of 1,056.
Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.
Taxes as a share of home value in Santa Barbara
The median tax ($7,498) is 0.5% of the median home value ($1,570,800).
Across Santa Barbara County the same ratio is 0.6%.
Across California it is 0.7%.
This is a ratio of two medians, a rough effective rate: not the tax rate or mill rate the town, county or school district sets, and not any one home’s bill.
Owners report what they paid and what they think their home is worth; the assessor’s office publishes the actual rates and assessments.
How property taxes in Santa Barbara have changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes | $5,490 (±$306) | $7,498 (±$497) | +36.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $1,051,500 (±$29,589) | $1,570,800 (±$58,636) | +49.4% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $3,193 (±$135) | $3,841 (±$160) | +20.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
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.
Median real estate taxes in places near Santa Barbara
| Place | Distance | Median real estate taxes | Compared with this place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara | — | $7,498 (±$497) | — |
| Mission Canyon | 3.6 mi | $9,688 (±$3,505) | Not measurably different |
| Montecito | 4.7 mi | $10,000 or more | — |
| Eastern Goleta Valley | 4.9 mi | $7,847 (±$974) | Not measurably different |
| Summerland | 7.3 mi | $10,000 or more | — |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | 7.6 mi | $5,560 (±$1,593) | Lower |
| Isla Vista | 8.4 mi | $7,500 (±$4,517) | Not measurably different |
| Goleta | 8.6 mi | $6,451 (±$412) | Lower |
| Toro Canyon | 8.8 mi | $10,000 or more | — |
Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: University of California-Santa Barbara, CA ($5,560), Goleta, CA ($6,451).
Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.
Median real estate taxes across Santa Barbara County, place by place
| Rank | Place | Median real estate taxes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (tie) | Summerland | $10,000 or more |
| 1 (tie) | Toro Canyon | $10,000 or more |
| 4 | Mission Canyon | $9,688 (±$3,505) |
| 5 | Santa Ynez | $8,542 (±$1,886) |
| 6 | Eastern Goleta Valley | $7,847 (±$974) |
| 7 | Isla Vista | $7,500 (±$4,517) |
| 8 | Santa Barbara | $7,498 (±$497) |
| 9 | Solvang | $6,987 (±$1,170) |
| 10 | Los Olivos | $6,583 (±$2,836) |
| 11 | Goleta | $6,451 (±$412) |
| 12 | Carpinteria | $6,258 (±$578) |
| 13 | Buellton | $5,761 (±$826) |
| 14 | University of California-Santa Barbara | $5,560 (±$1,593) |
Showing 13 of 21 places in Santa Barbara County, ranked from highest to lowest.
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
How much are property taxes in Santa Barbara?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Santa Barbara, CA is $7,498 (±$497) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the property tax rate in Santa Barbara?
The Census Bureau does not publish tax rates; as a rough guide, the median tax paid is 0.5% of the median home value in Santa Barbara, and the actual rate is set by the town, county and school district.
Have property taxes in Santa Barbara gone up?
In Santa Barbara, the median real estate tax went from $5,490 in 2015–2019 to $7,498 in 2020–2024 (+36.6%).
Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it rose faster than prices: a measurable increase after inflation.
Are property taxes in Santa Barbara higher than in Santa Barbara County?
In Santa Barbara, the median real estate tax is higher than in Santa Barbara County ($5,103).
It is also higher than in California ($5,124).
It is higher than the national figure ($3,119).
Sources
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Median Value (B25077), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Median Selected Monthly Owner Costs (B25088), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Barbara city, California
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
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) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) 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 B25103_001E, B25103_001M, B25077_001E, B25077_001M, B25088_002E, B25088_002M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
B25103_001E, B25103_001M, B25103_002E, B25103_002M, B25103_003E, B25103_003M, 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 .
Related
- Housing in Santa Barbara at a glance
- Median rent in Santa Barbara
- Rent by bedrooms in Santa Barbara
- Rent burden in Santa Barbara
- Renters and owners in Santa Barbara
- Income and affordability in Santa Barbara
- Home values in Santa Barbara
- Homeowner costs in Santa Barbara
- Types of homes in Santa Barbara
- Bedrooms in Santa Barbara
- Age of homes in Santa Barbara
- Vacancy rate in Santa Barbara
- Heating fuel in Santa Barbara
- Commute and cars in Santa Barbara
- Crime reported to police in Santa Barbara
- Population growth in Santa Barbara
- How long people stay in Santa Barbara
- Crowding and facilities in Santa Barbara
- California landlord and tenant rules
- Housing across Santa Barbara County
- California places ranked by property taxes
- Housing data for every place in California