Last updated on July 31, 2026

Average rent in
Santa Barbara, CA

Key takeaways for renters

  • Where Santa Barbara rent stands today

    Santa Barbara, CA rent slipped 1.6% year over year, with a current median of $3,900/month. Renters today are paying $1,288 less per month on average than last year, despite a 2.4% increase month over month as rents recover from a recent trough.

  • Vs. national rents

    Santa Barbara runs roughly 2× the national median of $1,930/month, placing it among the pricier coastal metros in the country. The market offers 141 total rentals, reflecting a small but high-cost inventory.

  • Rent ranges by bedroom

    Studios in Santa Barbara sit around $2,472/month, 1-bedrooms at $2,800/month, 2-bedrooms at $4,200/month, 3-bedrooms at $5,750/month, and 4+ bedrooms reach $11,500/month. Apartments make up 49.3% of rentals, with 1-bed and 2-bed units comprising over half of the inventory.

  • Neighborhood spotlight

    La Cumbre Park rents fell 76.4% year over year to $2,950/month across 18 rentals. This decline far exceeds the citywide 1.6% drop, showing a localized cooldown in this neighborhood.

Median rent

Median rent in Santa Barbara

$3,900/mo

decreased by2%

vs previous year

The average rent in Santa Barbara is $3,900 per month as of July 2026. This is 102% above the national average rent, or $1,970 more per month.

$4.94

average price per square foot

Total rentals

Available rentals in Santa Barbara

141

for rent on Zumper.com as of July 2026

Rent price distribution

Share of Santa Barbara rentals at each price point

35%26%18%9%0%
$0 - $1,500
$1,501 - $3,000
$3,001 - $4,500
$4,501 - $6,000
$6,001 - $50,000

Rent trends in Santa Barbara, CA

Average rent prices in Santa Barbara have increased by 2% over the last month and have decreased by 2% since last year.

Rent trends

Rent prices on this page are calculated on a rolling 30-day basis and updated daily.

Compare rent prices in Santa Barbara, CA

Rent prices in Santa Barbara vary by bedroom size, rental type, and neighborhood. The average rent for an apartment in Santa Barbara is $3,200, whereas a house costs $5,950. 1-bedroom apartments in Santa Barbara run $2,800 on average, while 2-bedroom apartments are $3,900.

Listings

Studio

$2,472

6%

10%

1 bedroom

$2,800

3%

11%

2 bedroom

$4,200

2%

5%

3 bedroom

$5,750

1%

4%

4 bedroom

$11,500

6%

31%

Studio

Average rent

$2,472

Last 30 days

6%

Last year

10%

1 bedroom

Average rent

$2,800

Last 30 days

3%

Last year

11%

2 bedroom

Average rent

$4,200

Last 30 days

2%

Last year

5%

3 bedroom

Average rent

$5,750

Last 30 days

1%

Last year

4%

4 bedroom

Average rent

$11,500

Last 30 days

6%

Last year

31%

The table above reflects average rent prices in Santa Barbara, CA, broken down by the number of bedrooms, neighborhoods, and property types. The availability of data for each category is dependent on market inventory and will adjust depending on your selected filters.

How does rent in Santa Barbara, CA compare to other cities?

Compare median rent prices in Santa Barbara and Carpinteria by all bedroom counts and property types.

Santa Barbara

Median rent price$3,900
increased by102%

higher than the national median

Median rent price$4,542
increased by135%

higher than the national median

Takeaway

The median rent for all rentals in Santa Barbara, CA is 14% lower than the median rent in Carpinteria, CA.

Average rent in nearby cities

Explore rent trends in neighboring markets

Carpinteria

$4,542

decreased by32%
Last year
Goleta

$4,000

increased by7%
Last year
Isla Vista

$3,150

increased by14%
Last year
Mission

$4,700

decreased by56%
Last year
Montecito

$20,000

decreased by2%
Last year
Oxnard

$2,779

decreased by6%
Last year

Discover rentals in Santa Barbara, CA

Leadbetter Lofts Student Inspired Living - Photo 1 of 1

1d ago

7.6

Very good

Leadbetter Lofts Student Inspired Living

221 Bath St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Studio–2 beds

1 bath

$1,095–$1,625

Apartment for rent

0301 Arlington Ave - Photo 1 of 1

49m ago

Santa Barbara Downtown condo for rent in Santa Barbara

Charming 1 Bed/1 Bath Condo in Santa Barbara - $1500/mo

0301 Arlington Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

1 bed

1 bath

$1,500

Condo for rent

Available Aug 31

2204 Parkway Dr - Photo 1 of 1

5d+ ago

Oak Park house for rent in Santa Barbara

House for rent

5d+ ago

8.3

Very good

2400 De La Vina St

2400 De La Vina St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

2 beds

1 bath

$3,200

Apartment for rent

Stay up to date with rental market insights

View the National Rent Report

National Rent Report

View the Canadian Rent Report

Canadian Rent Report

View the Annual Rent Report

Annual Rent Report

Are you interested in licensing our current and historical rental real estate data, or do you have custom data requests? Contact datalicensing@zumper.com.

Frequently asked questions for Santa Barbara, CA

Quick answers to common questions about the Santa Barbara rental market.

How much is rent in Santa Barbara?

The average rent in Santa Barbara is $3,900 per month as of July 25, 2026.

Is rent up or down in Santa Barbara?

Average rent prices in Santa Barbara have increased by 2% over the last month and have decreased by 2% since last year.

How does Santa Barbara rent compare to the national average?

Rent in Santa Barbara is 102% above the national average, which means renters are paying approximately $1,970 more per month.

Which neighborhoods are most affordable in Santa Barbara?

The most affordable neighborhoods in Santa Barbara are Westside ($2,850/mo), Oak Park ($3,397/mo), and West Beach ($3,680/mo).

What salary do I need to afford rent in Santa Barbara?

To comfortably afford rent in Santa Barbara, you'd need to earn approximately $156,000/year, based on spending no more than 30% of your income on rent.

When is the best time of year to rent in Santa Barbara?

Based on Zumper's July 2026 data, one-bedroom apartments in Santa Barbara average around $2,890/month and two-bedrooms approximately $4,220/month, both up slightly from last year.

Methodology

Rent prices are based on Zumper's rental listings from the past 30 days. Median rent is calculated across all available listings and property types on the platform. If you filter the page by bedroom count or property type, the pricing throughout the page will update automatically to reflect that segment of the rental market.

Household and population data come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Cost-of-living data is sourced from the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index (COLI).

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1057 Monte Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, USA
418 E Sola St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
616 N Voluntario St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
1008 Carpinteria St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
122 Santa Rosa Pl, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, USA
1476 Crestline Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA
204 Hot Springs Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
2084 Alisos Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
438 Por La Mar Cir, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
4905 Rhoads Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93111, USA
525 Las Palmas Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, USA
909 Alameda Padre Serra, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
937 Camino Viejo, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
36 Augusta Ln, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
1111 E Ortega St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
128 Por La Mar Cir, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
1428 Chino St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
2 De La Guerra Pl, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
257 Por La Mar Cir, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
2891 Hidden Valley Ln, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA