Last updated on June 15, 2026

Average rent in
Santa Barbara, CA

Key takeaways for renters

  • The bottom line

    Santa Barbara, CA rent slipped 1.3% year over year, with a current median of $3,900/month. Renters today are paying $1,454 less per month on average than last year, while month-to-month rent is essentially unchanged.

  • Vs. national rents

    Santa Barbara runs roughly 2× the $1,950/month national median, placing it among the priciest coastal metros for renters. The market offers 147 total rentals, a smaller inventory size compared to many larger metros.

  • Rent ranges by bedroom

    Studios in Santa Barbara sit around $2,538/month, 1-bedrooms around $2,850/month, and 2-bedrooms around $4,200/month, with larger units reaching $10,500/month for 4+ bedrooms. Houses rent for a median of $6,500/month, while apartments sit at $3,100/month.

  • Neighborhood spotlight

    Eucalyptus Hill rents fell 83.4% year over year to $4,150/month across 13 rentals, showing a local decline compared to the citywide decline of 1.3%. Campanil and Bel Air also saw declines exceeding 75%, reflecting concentrated neighborhood-level shifts.

Median rent

Median rent in Santa Barbara

$3,900/mo

decreased by1%

vs previous year

The average rent in Santa Barbara is $3,900 per month as of June 2026. This is 100% above the national average rent, or $1,950 more per month.

$4.46

average price per square foot

Total rentals

Available rentals in Santa Barbara

147

for rent on Zumper.com as of June 2026

Rent price distribution

Share of Santa Barbara rentals at each price point

30%23%15%8%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 remained the same over the last month and have decreased by 1% 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 $3,100, whereas a house costs $6,500. 1-bedroom apartments in Santa Barbara run $2,850 on average, while 2-bedroom apartments are $3,900.

Listings

Studio

$2,537

10%

17%

1 bedroom

$2,850

6%

4%

2 bedroom

$4,200

1%

8%

3 bedroom

$6,475

6%

6%

4 bedroom

$10,500

1%

34%

Studio

Average rent

$2,537

Last 30 days

10%

Last year

17%

1 bedroom

Average rent

$2,850

Last 30 days

6%

Last year

4%

2 bedroom

Average rent

$4,200

Last 30 days

1%

Last year

8%

3 bedroom

Average rent

$6,475

Last 30 days

6%

Last year

6%

4 bedroom

Average rent

$10,500

Last 30 days

1%

Last year

34%

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 by100%

higher than the national median

Median rent price$4,600
increased by136%

higher than the national median

Takeaway

The median rent for all rentals in Santa Barbara, CA is 15% lower than the median rent in Carpinteria, CA.

Average rent in nearby cities

Explore rent trends in neighboring markets

Carpinteria

$4,600

decreased by35%
Last year
Goleta

$3,550

increased by25%
Last year
Isla Vista

$3,056

increased by10%
Last year
Mission

$3,300

decreased by40%
Last year
Montecito

$28,000

increased by14%
Last year
Oxnard

$2,883

decreased by4%
Last year

Discover rentals in Santa Barbara, CA

Leadbetter Lofts Student Inspired Living - Photo 1 of 1

2d ago

7

Very good

Leadbetter Lofts Student Inspired Living

221 Bath St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

1–2 beds

1 bath

$1,095–$1,625

Apartment for rent

3435 Richland Dr #31D - Photo 1 of 1

5h ago

North State condo for rent in Santa Barbara

3435 Richland Dr #31D, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

1 bed

1.5 baths

$1,900

Condo for rent

3405 Richland Drive - Photo 1 of 1

5d+ ago

9.2

Excellent

3405 Richland Drive

3405 Richland Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

2 beds

1 bath

$2,900

Apartment for rent

3453 Richland Dr. - Photo 1 of 1

1d ago

8.5

Very good

3453 Richland Dr.

3453 Richland Dr, 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 June 13, 2026.

Is rent up or down in Santa Barbara?

Average rent prices in Santa Barbara have remained the same over the last month and have decreased by 1% since last year.

How does Santa Barbara rent compare to the national average?

Rent in Santa Barbara is 100% above the national average, which means renters are paying approximately $1,950 more per month.

Which neighborhoods are most affordable in Santa Barbara?

The most affordable neighborhoods in Santa Barbara are Laguna ($2,775/mo), Oak Park ($3,175/mo), and Alta Mesa ($3,350/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?

Santa Barbara's 2025 rental market shows 1-bedroom apartments averaging around $2,900 per month, remaining relatively stable from the previous year. 2-bedroom units average around $4,100 monthly, down 6.0% year over 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
1476 Crestline Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA
4015 Lago Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, USA
616 N Voluntario St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
118 W Pedregosa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
1742 Prospect Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
2 De La Guerra Pl, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
204 Hot Springs Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
438 Por La Mar Cir, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
4742 Calle Camarada, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, USA
810 E Canon Perdido St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
909 Alameda Padre Serra, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
937 Camino Viejo, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
1008 Carpinteria St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
1111 E Ortega St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
128 Por La Mar Cir, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
1643 La Vista Del Oceano, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, USA
2084 Alisos Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
2907 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA
350 Oliver Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, USA