Rental numbers for Santa Barbara County, CA
The typical home here runs -$4,074 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 14 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 3.2%.
- Gross yield
- 3.9%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 3.2%
- 14 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$4,074/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $992,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $3,200/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in Santa Barbara County
21 with published figures
| 93254New Cuyama | $293,000 | $2,730* | 11.2% | 7.5% | +$242 | n/a |
| 93434Guadalupe | $560,000 | $2,730* | 5.9% | 3.2% | -$1,526 | n/a |
| 93455Santa Maria | $723,000 | $3,308 | 5.5% | 2.7% | -$2,247 | +5.4% |
| 93454Santa Maria | $637,000 | $2,361 | 4.5% | 2.0% | -$2,376 | +0.3% |
| 93427Buellton | $919,000 | $3,390* | 4.4% | 2.0% | -$3,452 | n/a |
| 93436Lompoc | $594,000 | $2,169 | 4.4% | 1.9% | -$2,268 | +3.4% |
| 93458Santa Maria | $615,000 | $2,218 | 4.3% | 1.8% | -$2,369 | +5.6% |
| 93440Los Alamos | $896,000 | $3,000* | 4.0% | 1.7% | -$3,559 | n/a |
| 93117Goleta | $1,360,000 | $4,066 | 3.6% | 1.4% | -$5,766 | +3.8% |
| 93108Montecito | $5,098,000 | $14,830 | 3.5% | 1.5% | -$21,047 | +7.4% |
| 93013Carpinteria | $1,512,000 | $4,353 | 3.5% | 1.3% | -$6,516 | +16.3% |
| 93463Solvang | $1,416,000 | $3,750 | 3.2% | 0.9% | -$6,537 | n/a |
| 93103Santa Barbara | $1,708,000 | $4,125 | 2.9% | 1.0% | -$7,778 | +3.2% |
| 93111Santa Barbara | $1,666,000 | $4,018 | 2.9% | 0.8% | -$7,833 | +3.6% |
| 93101Santa Barbara | $1,457,000 | $3,226 | 2.7% | 0.6% | -$7,105 | +2.8% |
| 93460Santa Ynez | $1,894,000 | $4,170* | 2.6% | 0.4% | -$9,615 | n/a |
| 93105Santa Barbara | $1,903,000 | $3,848 | 2.4% | 0.5% | -$9,451 | +5.5% |
| 93441Los Olivos | $1,822,000 | $3,550* | 2.3% | 0.5% | -$9,026 | n/a |
| 93109Santa Barbara | $2,364,000 | $4,353 | 2.2% | 0.4% | -$11,899 | +1.9% |
| 93110Santa Barbara | $1,913,000 | $3,344 | 2.1% | 0.1% | -$10,128 | n/a |
| 93067Summerland | $2,681,000 | $3,740* | 1.7% | -0.2% | -$14,882 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- +4.0%
- Rent, 12 months
- +3.0%
- Rent minus price growth
- -1.0 pts
- Property tax
- 0.65%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $758,860 | $2,501 |
| Aug 2022 | $909,471 | $2,889 |
| Aug 2023 | $911,752 | $2,949 |
| Aug 2024 | $967,330 | $3,044 |
| Aug 2025 | $953,802 | $3,106 |
| Aug 2026 | $991,951 | $3,200 |
HUD Fair Market Rent
FY2027, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA
| Bedrooms | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Market Rent | $2,479 | $2,711 | $3,106 | $3,990 | $4,557 |
The 40th percentile gross rent for a standard unit, set by HUD each October and used for Section 8 payment standards. It runs below market rent; Zillow's index is shown above where it exists.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 9.1
- 1,360 units, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 68th
- among US counties
Tools
Test a listing in Santa Barbara County against today's rate.
Open the calculatorPart of the Santa Maria, CA metro.
Questions
- Is Santa Barbara County good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$4,074 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 14 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 3.2%. The figures use a typical home, 7.78% with 25% down and default costs shown on each ZIP page. They describe the market, not any one property.
- What is the property tax rate in Santa Barbara County?
- About 0.65% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $992,000 home that is about $6,398 a year.
- What is Fair Market Rent in Santa Barbara County?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $2,711 for a 1-bedroom, $3,106 for a 2-bedroom and $3,990 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$4,074 a month.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- HUD Fair Market Rents by county, FY2027
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2027.
County rent by bedroom count on county pages.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
- Building Permits Survey, county monthly files
US Census Bureau. Read: 2025-09 to 2026-08.
New housing units permitted in the last 12 months per 1,000 households, a supply-pressure signal.
Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.
Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.