Minerva Club of Santa Maria · Photo: ELEAZARCH · CC BY-SA 4.0399 homes sold in Santa Maria in the last year, at a typical $638K
Almost every sale is a house. 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 Maria homes are listed.
Every place Santa Maria 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 Maria.
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.
11% of Santa Maria’s sales are condos, at $252K less than a house
339 houses and 44 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 339 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $396CA $494
- Days to sell
- 25
- Sold over asking
- 54%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
typical sale · 44 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $366CA $561
- Days to sell
- 35
- Sold over asking
- 18%
- Listings with a price cut
- 30%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 13 sold, typical $1.1M
Townhouses: 4 sold, typical $587K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.9 times the 2016 price
399 sales in the last year, against 905 in 2012 and a low of 384 in 2023. The typical sale went from $336K in 2016 to $638K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $650K buys in Santa Maria
Check a listing against what Santa Maria 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 Maria are more common than before the pandemic, but 62% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Santa Maria’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, 399 sales.
If you’re buying in Santa Maria
- Shop in April. It brings about 67 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (37% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 26% of listings have cut their price, against 21% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 100.4% of the list price on average; 49% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 70 a month), and the most competition: 45% close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (39%). January has the least competition (35%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than California
| Santa Maria now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 49% | 27% | 66% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 46% | 32% | 65% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 26% | 21% | 14% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 100.4% | 98.9% | 101.8% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 26 | 41 | 14 | 44 |
53 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.2 times the 2023 low (43), 62% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 294.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
26% in the last year, against 21% in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Since 2019, houses are up 63%, condos 62%
A house typically sold for $647K in the last year (339 sales), a condo for $394K (44).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Santa Maria ranks 89th 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 Maria is one of the state’s hottest 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 Maria home costs about $3,672 a month
Price: Santa Maria’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Santa Maria’s 0.7% (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 Maria 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 32.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $638K home, about $4,120 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Santa Maria, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Santa MariaTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Santa Maria.
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.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Woodlands and Oceano for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Santa Maria, 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 Maria | 399 | $638K | $389 | 49% | 26 |
| Orcutt | 310 | $741K | $413 | 42% | 29 |
| Nipomo | 115 | $814K | $482 | 43% | 33 |
| Woodlands | 68 | $1.4M | $604 | 9% | 65 |
| Oceano | 65 | $691K | $543 | 29% | 48 |
| Guadalupe | 37 | $630K | $420 | 35% | 28 |
| Blacklake | 29 | $868K | $470 | 21% | 44 |
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 Maria, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Santa Maria. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Santa Maria with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Santa Maria
What do homes sell for in Santa Maria, CA?
399 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $638K, $389 a square foot. Houses sold for about $647K, condos for about $394K.
Is Santa Maria a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 66 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 34 sold, about 1.9 months of supply. Buyers paid 100.4% of asking on average, and 26% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Santa Maria?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Santa Maria?
About 0.7% of a home’s value a year. On a $638K home that’s near $4,120.
Where can I see homes for sale in Santa Maria?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Santa Maria’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Santa Maria.
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).