Photo: Pierre André · CC BY-SA 4.0599 homes sold in Santa Barbara in the last year, at a typical $1.9M
About one sale in 4 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Santa Barbara homes are listed.
Every place Santa Barbara homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Santa Barbara.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
A quarter of Santa Barbara’s sales are condos, at $1M less than a house
410 houses and 135 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 410 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $1,322CA $494
- Days to sell
- 49
- Sold over asking
- 23%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
typical sale · 135 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $1,003CA $561
- Days to sell
- 64
- Sold over asking
- 21%
- Listings with a price cut
- 24%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 40 sold, typical $1.9M
Townhouses: 14 sold, typical $1.3M
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.8 times the 2016 price
599 sales in the last year, against 915 in 2012 and a low of 486 in 2023. The typical sale went from $1.1M in 2016 to $1.9M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.9M buys in Santa Barbara
Check a listing against what Santa Barbara homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Santa Barbara are back to pre-pandemic levels, but a third fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Santa Barbara’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 599 sales.
If you’re buying in Santa Barbara
- Shop in August. It brings about 79 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (26% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 23% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.3% of the list price on average; 23% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 42% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 51 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 88 a month), but March is the most competitive: 35% of March sales close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (29%). December has the least competition (23%) but only about 34 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| Santa Barbara now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 23% | 18% | 54% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 42% | 39% | 64% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 23% | 23% | 12% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.3% | 97.8% | 103.2% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 51 | 62 | 35 | 44 |
154 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2022 low (81), 33% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 301.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
23% in the last year, against 23% in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Since 2019, houses are up 69%, condos 51%
A house typically sold for $2.2M in the last year (410 sales), a condo for $1.2M (135).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Santa Barbara ranks 464th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Santa Barbara is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Santa Barbara home costs about $10,680 a month
Price: Santa Barbara’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Santa Barbara’s 0.5% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Santa Barbara is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 34.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $1.9M home, about $9,080 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Santa Barbara, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Santa BarbaraTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Santa Barbara.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Mission Canyon, Eastern Goleta Valley, Goleta and Carpinteria sell for less a square foot; Montecito for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Santa Barbara, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara | 599 | $1.9M | $1,224 | 23% | 51 |
| Eastern Goleta Valley | 243 | $1.8M | $958 | 27% | 45 |
| Goleta | 192 | $1.2M | $816 | 32% | 47 |
| Montecito | 138 | $6.5M | $1,977 | 9% | 92 |
| Carpinteria | 108 | $1.3M | $941 | 29% | 43 |
| Toro Canyon | 35 | $4.1M | $1,450 | 11% | 91 |
| Mission Canyon | 33 | $2.5M | $1,082 | 6% | 110 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Santa Barbara, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Santa Barbara. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Santa Barbara with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Santa Barbara
What do homes sell for in Santa Barbara, CA?
599 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.9M, $1,224 a square foot. Houses sold for about $2.2M, condos for about $1.2M.
Is Santa Barbara a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 124 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 60 sold, about 2.1 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.3% of asking on average, and 23% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Santa Barbara?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Santa Barbara?
About 0.5% of a home’s value a year. On a $1.9M home that’s near $9,080.
Where can I see homes for sale in Santa Barbara?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Santa Barbara’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Santa Barbara.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).