Santa Maria, California Housing Market Prices
Santa Maria 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.
-
Median home price 45% below the California median$355,467
-
Median rent 6% below the California median$1,919
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $355,467 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 5.0% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,919 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.1% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Santa Maria is about 45% lower than in California. Rent is about 6% lower than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Santa Maria, up about 5.0% and 6.1% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in Santa Maria rose about 66.2% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,155 to $1,919. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.4 yearly household incomes in Santa Maria.
Buying the median-priced home in Santa Maria costs roughly 15.4 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Santa Maria. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $355,467 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $81,540 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.4 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Santa Maria rose about 61.8%, while median household income rose about 57.5% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 47.8% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 48.9% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 3.4% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2011 | 2011 |
Santa Maria has a homeownership rate of 47.8%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 3.4%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 3.71 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1981 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Santa Maria was built around 1981. On average, 3.7 people live in a home with about 5.0 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Santa Maria, California.
What is the median home price in Santa Maria, California?
The median home price in Santa Maria, California is $355,467, lower than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Santa Maria, California?
The typical home price in Santa Maria, California, reported as the median sale price, is $355,467. 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 Maria, California?
The median gross rent in Santa Maria, California is $1,919 per month, lower than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Santa Maria in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Santa Maria, California was $1,460 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Santa Maria, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Santa Maria, California is about 15.4, meaning it would take roughly 15.4 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Santa Maria.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Santa Maria, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Santa Maria, up about 5.0% and 6.1% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Santa Maria, California?
47.8% of households in Santa Maria, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Santa Maria, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Santa Maria, California is 3.4%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →