Average Rent in Santa Barbara, CA
10 apartment buildings, 28 units. Daily asking prices with rent history for every building.
Browse apartments in Santa Barbara, CACheapest
$750/mo
The Santa Barbara Group at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties
Properties
10
tracked daily
Units
28
available now
Santa Barbara, CA Resident Access
City Club members share insider gate codes, parking links, and amenity tips.
Analysis
Rent Price Breakdown
Compare pricing across all 10 properties in Santa Barbara, CA.
Average rent trend, last 3 months
All bedroom types, citywide. Choose a window above to scope the view.
Average Rent by Property
Starting Price vs Average
Rent by Bedroom Count
Price per Square Foot
Santa Barbara, CA Rent Prices
All 10 properties ranked by lowest available rent.
The Santa Barbara Group at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties
3868 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA
Olive Street Lofts
915 Olive St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
La Brezza Apartment Homes
620 W Gutierrez St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
Hope Ranch Apartments
3999 Via Lucero, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, USA
Coronel Place Apartments
555 Coronel Pl, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
Patios Del Sol Apartments
220 Ladera St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
The Messina Townhomes
2541 Modoc Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA
| # | Property | From | Avg | $/sqft | Rating | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Santa Barbara Group at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties 3868 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA | $1,250 | $2,574 | $1.26/ft² | 5 (41) | 14 |
| 2 | Olive Street Lofts 915 Olive St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA | $2,500 | $3,200 | $3.06/ft² | -- | 2 |
| 3 | La Brezza Apartment Homes 620 W Gutierrez St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA | $2,725 | $2,725 | $4.19/ft² | 2.7 (26) | 1 |
| 4 | Hope Ranch Apartments 3999 Via Lucero, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, USA | $2,867 | $2,970 | $4.98/ft² | 4.3 (61) | 5 |
| 5 | Coronel Place Apartments 555 Coronel Pl, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA | $2,950 as of Oct 1 | $2,950 | $5.78/ft² | 3.9 (9) | 1 |
| 6 | Patios Del Sol Apartments 220 Ladera St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3.76/ft² | 5 (2) | 1 |
| 7 | The Messina Townhomes 2541 Modoc Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA | $3,000 as of Oct 1 | $3,225 | $3.53/ft² | 3 (2) | 2 |
Rent & Price History by Building
Compare apartment listings by price, bedrooms, and neighborhood.
The Santa Barbara Group at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties
5 (41)3868 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA
Olive Street Lofts
915 Olive St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
La Brezza Apartment Homes
2.7 (26)620 W Gutierrez St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
Hope Ranch Apartments
4.3 (61)3999 Via Lucero, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, USA
Coronel Place Apartments
3.9 (9)555 Coronel Pl, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
Patios Del Sol Apartments
5 (2)220 Ladera St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
By Area
Santa Barbara, CA neighborhoods
Tracked buildings across 4 named neighborhoods. Pick one to see its apartments.
Santa Barbara, CA Average Rent Prices 2026
The average rent in Santa Barbara, CA is $3,029 per month, based on 28 units across 10 apartment communities. Prices range from $750 at The Santa Barbara Group at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties to $15,000 at Villa Flores Apartments.
Average Rent by Bedroom Type
| Type | Avg Rent | Starting From | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $3,200/mo | $2,500/mo | 2 |
| 1 Bed | $3,341/mo | $2,867/mo | 6 |
| 2 Bed | $2,859/mo | $1,250/mo | 9 |
| 3 Bed | $1,710/mo | $1,349/mo | 4 |
| 4 Bed | $2,848/mo | $1,395/mo | 3 |
Every price is a real asking rent, updated that morning. Request a neighborhood we don't cover and we add it within 24 hours.
Market Context
Who rents in Santa Barbara, CA, and what they pay
Tracked one-bedroom rent in Santa Barbara, CA averages $3,341/mo, with two-bedroom units averaging $2,859/mo. At the local median household income of $101,672, that works out to 36% of gross income, above the 30 percent affordability ceiling, a stretched-budget market.
The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2023 release pegged median gross rent in Santa Barbara, CA at $2,302/mo. The current tracked market average runs 32% higher than that benchmark, reflecting both two to three years of rent growth and the fact that the Census figure covers all renter-occupied housing in Santa Barbara, CA while the tracked market average covers units currently listed in larger apartment communities.
What salary do I need to live comfortably in Santa Barbara, CA?
Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.
Minimum to afford average rent
$121,000/year
Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $3,029/mo.
Comfortable income
$145,000/year
Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.
To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($750/mo), you need to earn at least $30,000/year.
Median household income in Santa Barbara, CA is $101,672 , about 30% below the comfortable-living threshold.
Cost of living in Santa Barbara, CA
Overall prices in Santa Barbara, CA runs above the national average by about 14% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 113.7, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Santa Barbara, CA's regional price parities.
| Category | Monthly estimate |
|---|---|
| Rent (market average) | $3,029 |
| Utilities | $754 |
| Groceries | $567 |
| Transportation | $1,798 |
| Healthcare | $877 |
| Other goods and services | $1,403 |
| Estimated total | $8,428/mo |
Population
88,024
Median household income
$101,672
Census median rent
$2,302/mo
Census rent burden
32.9%
Median age
39.4
Mean commute
17 min
Methodology
Rent data
Sourced directly from each tracked apartment community and refreshed every 24 hours. Every listed unit price on this page is real and listed today.
Cost of living
Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.
Salary to live comfortably
Applies the standard 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income rule on top of the listed rent. This is the same affordability guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.
Demographic figures
Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.
Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
Compare
Nearby cities in California
How Santa Barbara, CA rent compares to other markets in the state.
| City | Avg Rent | vs Santa Barbara, CA | 30-Day Change | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | $3,323 | +10% | -2.2% | 50 |
| San Diego, CA | $3,339 | +10% | +0.4% | 34 |
| Anaheim, CA | $2,825 | -7% | +1.1% | 33 |
| EL Cajon, CA | $2,597 | -14% | +33.2% | 30 |
| San Francisco, CA | $5,465 | +80% | +1% | 30 |
| Riverside, CA | $2,433 | -20% | +1.2% | 25 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average rent in Santa Barbara, CA?
The average rent in Santa Barbara, CA is $3,029 per month, based on 28 units across 10 apartment buildings tracked by Average Rent. Prices are refreshed daily.
What is the median rent in Santa Barbara, CA?
The median asking rent in Santa Barbara, CA is $2,710 per month, computed from 28 live listed units and refreshed daily. The average is $3,029/mo; the median resists skew from luxury listings.
What is the cheapest apartment rent in Santa Barbara, CA?
The lowest available rent in Santa Barbara, CA starts at $750 per month. Availability changes daily and prices are refreshed each morning.
How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA?
1-bedroom apartments in Santa Barbara, CA average $3,341/mo. The lowest listed 1-bedroom starts at $2,867/mo across 6 units tracked.
How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA?
2-bedroom apartments in Santa Barbara, CA average $2,859/mo. Units start from $1,250/mo across 9 units currently listed.
Rent Trends in Santa Barbara, CA
Track how apartment prices are changing over time.
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