Santa Barbara County property tax rate by city, 2026-27
Each city's main tax rate area (TRA) below comes from the Auditor-Controller's 2026-27 Tax Rate Book, with the 2025-26 rate from the prior book. The last column applies the 2026-27 rate to Zillow's September 2026 typical value for that city, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption, to show what a buyer at today's typical price would pay before fixed charges.
| City (TRA) | 2025-26 rate | 2026-27 rate | Zillow typical value, Sept 2026 | Tax at typical value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara (002-000) | 1.05404% | 1.05079% | $1,805,649 | $18,900 |
| Goleta (008-001) | 1.04654% | 1.04512% | $1,349,075 | $14,026 |
| Carpinteria (005-001) | 1.04708% | 1.04597% | $1,530,841 | $15,939 |
| Solvang (006-001) | 1.07975% | 1.07714% | $1,407,704 | $15,088 |
| Buellton (007-001) | 1.07975% | 1.07714% | $900,927 | $9,629 |
| Santa Maria (003-000) | 1.11278% | 1.10326% | $665,485 | $7,265 |
| Lompoc (001-000) | 1.13950% | 1.12369% | $592,450 | $6,579 |
| Guadalupe (004-000) | 1.18136% | 1.18179% | $557,783 | $6,509 |
*Typical value less $7,000, times the 2026-27 rate. Fixed charges are extra.
What makes up the City of Santa Barbara rate
The 1.05079% total is the 1.00000% general levy plus six Santa Barbara Unified bonds (measures from 1998, 2000, 2010 and 2016, adding 0.04237% in all) and two Santa Barbara City College bonds from 2008 and 2024 (0.00842%). Most of those bond rates fell slightly as the roll grew, taking the total down from 1.05404%.
Why Lompoc and Guadalupe pay more
Lompoc's rate includes a 2005 Lompoc Hospital District bond at 0.05834%, a 2024 Lompoc Unified bond at 0.04241% and Allan Hancock College bonds at 0.02002%. Guadalupe, at 1.18179%, has the highest city rate in the county, about 0.153 points above Montecito's lowest TRA.
Rates by tax rate area: Montecito, Goleta Valley, Orcutt and the Santa Ynez Valley
Many of the county's best-known communities, from Montecito to Orcutt, are outside city limits. The Auditor-Controller's rate books list every TRA; these are the common ones for unincorporated communities.
| TRA | Area | 2025-26 rate | 2026-27 rate | Tax per $100,000 (2026-27) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 078-001 | Montecito, Montecito Union school area | 1.02988% | 1.02872% | $1,028.72 |
| 061-001 | Montecito, Cold Spring school area | 1.04068% | 1.03952% | $1,039.52 |
| 066-155 | Unincorporated Goleta | 1.04654% | 1.04512% | $1,045.12 |
| 074-001 | Los Olivos | 1.06409% | 1.05909% | $1,059.09 |
| 080-001 | Orcutt | 1.10141% | 1.09668% | $1,096.68 |
Montecito's low rate and high bills
Montecito's TRAs have the lowest rates in this list. With Zillow's typical Montecito value at $5,676,750 in September 2026, a buyer at that price in TRA 078-001 would still owe about $58,326 a year before the sewer and water charges described below.
The Santa Ynez River water district land levy
Some Santa Ynez Valley parcels also pay the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District Improvement District No. 1 rate of 0.04125% for 2026-27, charged on land value only. Check whether it appears on the bill of any Solvang, Santa Ynez or Los Olivos home you are considering.
Checking a real Santa Barbara County bill
The Auditor-Controller's tax bill search shows every fund on a parcel's bill. Enter an assessor's parcel number to see the 1% levy, any voter-approved bond rates and the fixed charges for that parcel, line by line.
Worked example: a Santa Barbara County bill under Prop 13
Prop 13 makes your purchase price the assessed value and limits increases to 2% a year. This example uses Zillow's September 2026 typical county value of $988,595 for an owner-occupied home in the City of Santa Barbara, TRA 002-000.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase price = assessed value | $988,595 |
| Less homeowners' exemption | -$7,000 |
| Net taxable value | $981,595 |
| 1% general levy | $9,815.95 |
| School and college bonds (0.05079%) | $498.55 |
| Ad valorem tax at 1.05079% | $10,314.50 |
| Flood, vector control and sewer charges | Depends on the parcel |
Year two on the same Santa Barbara home
With the full 2% factor, the assessed value becomes $1,008,367. After the exemption and at the same rate, the tax would be about $10,522. The bond portion is reset each year, so expect small changes either way.
The same price elsewhere in Santa Barbara County
On the same $981,595 net value, 2026-27 tax would be about $11,600 in Guadalupe, $11,030 in Lompoc, $10,830 in Santa Maria, $10,765 in Orcutt, $10,573 in Solvang, $10,259 in Goleta and $10,098 in Montecito's TRA 078-001. That is a $1,500 spread on one price. The California property tax guide covers the Prop 13 rules.
Santa Barbara County property tax exemptions
Homeowners' exemption in Santa Barbara County
If you own the home and it is your principal residence on January 1, the Assessor takes $7,000 off its assessed value, which saves about $74 a year at the City of Santa Barbara rate. The exemption shows as a separate line on the Assessor's value notice. File the state claim form BOE-266 with the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor; under state rules a claim filed by February 15 gets the full exemption. Questions go to the Assessor at (805) 568-2550 in Santa Barbara or (805) 346-8310 in Santa Maria.
Disabled veterans' exemption in Santa Barbara County
Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating, or who are blind or have lost the use of two or more limbs from a service-connected injury, can claim the disabled veterans' exemption on form BOE-261-G. For the 2026 lien date the Board of Equalization set the basic exemption at $180,671 of assessed value and the low-income exemption at $271,009, with a household income limit of $81,131. From the 2027 lien date, a new state law, SB 296, replaces those amounts with an exemption of half the assessed value, up to $500,000, or the full value up to $1,000,000 for households under the $83,474 income limit; confirm with the Assessor before you rely on it. On a Santa Barbara city home the basic amount is worth about $1,898 a year.
Prop 19 transfers and disaster relief in Santa Barbara County
Under Prop 19, owners 55 and older, severely disabled owners and disaster victims can take their Prop 13 value to a replacement home anywhere in California, and a child keeps a parent's value only on a family home they move into. Our Prop 19 guide covers the limits. Call the Santa Barbara County Assessor at (805) 568-2550 to confirm which form and deadline apply to you.
Reassessment after the Lake Fire and the 2025 storms
Santa Barbara County's disaster relief runs under County Ordinance 4697 and Revenue and Taxation Code section 170. If a fire, flood or other calamity causes $10,000 or more of damage, file the county's Application for Reassessment of Property Damage within 12 months. The form includes a box to ask to defer the next December 10 or April 10 installment. The county issued a notice on this process after the 2024 Lake Fire. Rebuilding a similar home keeps your old base-year value.
Supplemental bills after you buy in Santa Barbara County
The Treasurer-Tax Collector sends supplemental bills when property changes owner or new construction is completed. A change of ownership produces one supplemental bill or refund, or two if it happens between January 1 and May 31. Each supplemental bill has its own delinquent dates and is separate from the regular annual bill. You can appeal the supplemental value within 60 days of the notice.
Santa Barbara County supplemental bill example
Say the seller's taxable value was $450,000 and you buy the Santa Barbara city home above for $988,595 on January 1, 2027. The supplemental value is $538,595. The supplemental tax starts on February 1, the first of the next month, leaving five months of the fiscal year, so the first bill at 1.05079% is about $538,595 x 1.05079% x 5/12 = $2,358. The second bill, for 2027-28, would be about $5,660. Supplemental bills come to you, not your lender, so set the money aside after closing.
Fixed charges and special taxes on Santa Barbara County bills
We found no Mello-Roos community facilities district on the sample bills we opened, and the county does not publish a list of CFDs we could find. What Santa Barbara County bills do carry are fixed charges that vary sharply by community. The Auditor-Controller's tax bill search shows each one for a given parcel. If a seller discloses a CFD, read our Mello-Roos guide.
South coast flood and vector charges
South coast bills can carry a flood zone benefit assessment and a mosquito and vector control charge. Both are usually small next to the sewer charges below.
Montecito and Carpinteria sewer and water charges
The Montecito Sanitary District collects its sewer charge on the tax roll: $1,650.93 a year for a single-family home and $766.20 for a condo or second dwelling from July 1, 2026, under rates its board adopted on June 10, 2026. Carpinteria Sanitary District customers also see a sewer charge on the bill, and water district and groundwater agency charges can appear too.
Isla Vista, Orcutt and Los Olivos charges
Isla Vista bills can carry recreation and park district special taxes and a sanitary district charge. Orcutt homes on the Laguna County Sanitation District pay its sewer charge on the bill, and Los Olivos parcels can carry a community services district special tax. Amounts vary by parcel, so read the seller's last bill.
Paying Santa Barbara County property tax: due dates and fees
The first installment is due November 1 and is delinquent after 5 p.m. on December 10. The second is due February 1 and is delinquent after 5 p.m. on April 10, which in 2027 is a Saturday, so the deadline should move to Monday, April 12; confirm the date printed on your bill. A late installment adds a 10% penalty plus a $30 charge, according to the county's bill stub. Partial payments are not accepted on secured or supplemental bills.
Ways to pay the Santa Barbara County Treasurer-Tax Collector
- Online: the Treasurer-Tax Collector's tax portal, by parcel number, address or bill number. A free account lets you pay online and keep your search history. E-check is free; credit cards carry a 2.34% vendor fee.
- Phone: (877) 399-8089 toll free or (805) 724-3008.
- Mail: Treasurer-Tax Collector, P.O. Box 579, Santa Barbara, CA 93102-0579. A U.S. postmark by the delinquent date counts.
- Questions: (805) 568-2920 in Santa Barbara or (805) 346-8330 in Santa Maria.
If you miss the deadlines
Taxes unpaid at the end of the fiscal year become tax-defaulted, and a redemption bill from the county adds further penalties and a $25 redemption fee. Ask the Tax Collector about a payment plan before that happens.
Appealing a Santa Barbara County assessment
Informal review with the Santa Barbara County Assessor
Your value notice says you have the right to an informal review with the Assessor's office. If your home's market value on January 1 fell below its assessed value, contact the Assessor at (805) 568-2550 and bring two or three nearby sales. Talking to the Assessor does not extend the appeal deadline.
Formal appeal to the Santa Barbara County Assessment Appeals Board
File with the Clerk of the Board, 105 E. Anapamu Street, Room 407, Santa Barbara, (805) 568-2240. The regular filing period is July 2 to November 30, postmarked by midnight, and it moves to the next business day if November 30 falls on a weekend or holiday. The county accepts appeals through its online e-filing site. The fee is $65 per parcel, not refunded, or $1,000 if the assessed value is over $30 million. Supplemental and escape assessments must be appealed within 60 days of the notice.
Santa Barbara County's roll in 2026-27
The Auditor-Controller's comparative rate report applies the 1% levy to about $122.2 billion of assessed value for 2026-27, raising about $1.22 billion before bonds and fixed charges.