Data through September 2026 · updated 2026-11-07 · free, from Zillow, Realtor.com, the Census Bureau and other public sources
Typical home value$988,595+4.3% YoY · prices are rising fast
Market right nowBalanced, leaning sellersMore homes for sale than last year, 17% have cut their price
Income needed to buy, per year$214,307About 2.3× the local median income ($94,572): hard to afford
Days on market58 daysFaster than a year ago: sellers have the edge
Next 12 months+1.9%Zillow expects prices to rise slightly
The typical home in Santa Barbara County, CA is worth $988,595, up 4.3% from a year ago. That is well above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $852,178, so the area is 16.0% overvalued. It is a balanced market, leaning toward sellers: homes take about 58 days to sell, listings are up 7% from a year ago, 17% of listings have had a price cut. Zillow expects prices to rise about 1.9% over the next year. A household needs about $214,307 a year to afford the typical home here at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $94,572. Typical rent is $3,279 a month, or $4,771 for a house. In the latest IRS figures, 3,510 more people moved out than in.
Home value over time
Solid: typical home value · dashed: fair value (household income × the 20-year average price-to-income ratio). Sources: FHFA, Zillow, U.S. Census Bureau.
Prices and affordability
Typical home value
$988,595
Change in 1 year
+4.3%
Overvalued %
+16.0%
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Fair home value
$852,178
Change in 5 years
+30.2%
Zillow forecast, next 12 months
+1.9%
Home value to income
10.5×
Monthly mortgage payment (20% down)
$5,358
Income needed to afford it
$214,307
Property tax rate
0.65%
Rent and investing
Typical rent
$3,279
Typical rent for houses
$4,771
Price-to-rent ratio
25.1×
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HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedrooms
$3,106
Gross rental yield
3.98%
Cap rate (estimate)
2.59%
Market activity
Listings vs a year ago
+7.3%
Days on market
58
Listings with a price cut
16.9%
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Homes for sale
709
Pending sales per 100 listings
33
Asking price per sq ft
$817
People and jobs
Median household income
$94,572
Population change (1 year)
−0.2%
Unemployment rate
6.4%
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Population
442,065
Income adjusted for cost of living
$86,923
Net moves in (IRS)
−3,510
Cost of living (US = 100)
108.8
Schools, risk and environment
School rating (1 to 10)
4.7
FEMA hazard risk score (0 to 100)
99.0
Unhealthy air days a year
0
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Flood risk score
98.6
Wildfire risk score
99.2
Walkability (1 to 20)
10.8
Road, rail and air noise
54 dB
Questions people ask
Is Santa Barbara County, CA overvalued?
Home prices in Santa Barbara County, CA are well above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $852,178, so the area is 16.0% overvalued.
Is Santa Barbara County, CA a buyer's or seller's market?
Santa Barbara County, CA is a balanced market, leaning toward sellers: homes take about 58 days to sell, listings are up 7% from a year ago, 17% of listings have had a price cut.
Are home prices going down in Santa Barbara County, CA?
Home values in Santa Barbara County, CA are up 4.3% over the last year. Zillow's forecast for the next 12 months is +1.9%.
How much do you need to earn to buy a home in Santa Barbara County, CA?
A household needs about $214,307 a year to afford the typical home in Santa Barbara County, CA at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $94,572.