Santa Barbara County, California Housing Market Prices
Santa Barbara County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 15% below the California median$555,382
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Median rent 5% above the California median More expensive than 77% of counties in California$2,131
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $555,382 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -0.5% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,131 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.2% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Santa Barbara County is about 15% lower than in California. Rent is about 5% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Santa Barbara County: home prices fell about 0.5% a year while rent rose about 5.2% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Santa Barbara County rose about 55.7% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,368 to $2,131. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.6 yearly household incomes in Santa Barbara County.
Buying the median-priced home in Santa Barbara County costs roughly 21.7 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Santa Barbara County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $555,382 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $98,304 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.6 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Santa Barbara County rose about 17.8%, while median household income rose about 59.2% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 48.8% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 44.4% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 6.8% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 |
Santa Barbara County has a homeownership rate of 48.8%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 6.8%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.81 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1975 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Santa Barbara County was built around 1975. On average, 2.8 people live in a home with about 5.0 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Santa Barbara County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Santa Barbara County, CA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 443,693 residents against a local median of 836,943. The measure that sets Santa Barbara County, CA apart most is median home price: $555,382, 35% below the local median of $854,285.
The counties themselves spread $634,813 on median home price, so Santa Barbara County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Santa Barbara County, CA has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 443,693 | $555,382 #4/6 | $2,131 #2/6 | 52.4% #5/6 |
| Ventura County, CA | 836,943 | $854,285 | $2,316 | 64.6% |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 281,514 | $895,815 | $1,991 | 62.1% |
| Kern County, CA | 915,060 | $315,481 | $1,300 | 60.1% |
| Kings County, CA | 153,298 | $300,000 | $1,331 | 54.2% |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 9,796,997 | $934,813 | $1,953 | 45.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Santa Barbara County, California.
What is the median home price in Santa Barbara County, California?
The median home price in Santa Barbara County, California is $555,382, lower than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Santa Barbara County, California?
The typical home price in Santa Barbara County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $555,382. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Santa Barbara County, California?
The median gross rent in Santa Barbara County, California is $2,131 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Santa Barbara County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Santa Barbara County, California was $1,697 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Santa Barbara County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Santa Barbara County, California is about 21.7, meaning it would take roughly 21.7 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Santa Barbara County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Santa Barbara County, California?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Santa Barbara County: home prices fell about 0.5% a year while rent rose about 5.2% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Santa Barbara County, California?
48.8% of households in Santa Barbara County, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Santa Barbara County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Santa Barbara County, California is 6.8%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
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