What the Santa Barbara price trend shows
Two measures point the same way: Santa Barbara prices are at or near record levels, but they are rising slowly.
Redfin: sale prices flat over the year
Redfin's median sale price for the city was $1,880,105 for the three months to September 2026, up 0.95% from a year earlier. The median list price was $1,975,190, and the median price per square foot was $1,186, down 1.3% on the year. A flat median with a slightly lower price per square foot usually means the mix of homes that sold shifted toward larger houses, not that individual homes gained much value.
Zillow: the typical home value at a new high
Zillow's typical home value for Santa Barbara reached $1,805,649 in September 2026, its highest month on record. That is 4.9% above September 2025, 28.8% above five years earlier and 78.9% above ten years earlier, when it was $1,009,315. Values spent most of 2022 to 2025 on a plateau: $1,701,734 in September 2022, $1,699,651 in September 2023 and $1,721,596 in September 2025. The latest year broke out of that range.
Rents moved in step. Zillow's observed rent for the city was $3,642 a month in September 2026, up 3.8% in a year. See the Santa Barbara County data page for the monthly charts.
Sale speed, price cuts and inventory in Santa Barbara
Redfin's city figures for the three months to September 2026 describe a balanced market that leans slightly toward sellers:
| Measure (Redfin, 3 months to Sept 2026) | Santa Barbara | Change vs a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Homes sold | 166 | +15.0% |
| New listings | 202 | +3.1% |
| Homes for sale (inventory) | 161 | -11.2% |
| Months of supply | 3.0 | |
| Median days on market | 44 | |
| Average sale-to-list price | 97.4% | |
| Share sold above list | 17.8% | |
| Share off market in two weeks | 42.0% |
Price cuts across the Santa Barbara metro
Zillow tracks price cuts for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metro, which covers the whole county. In September 2026, 22.3% of listings had a price cut, against 21.9% in September 2025. Listings took a mean of 44 days to go pending, down from 51 a year earlier, and metro inventory was 869 homes, almost unchanged from 870. Buyers are paying a little under asking on average, sellers who price well still sell within weeks, and roughly one listing in five needs a reduction.
Santa Barbara home prices by ZIP code
Each ZIP below is Redfin's rolling three-month figure to September 2026, followed by Zillow's typical value for the same month. Small ZIPs swing a lot from year to year, so read the sales count before the percentage. Our Santa Barbara ZIP code guide covers what each one includes.
Santa Barbara ZIP 93101
Redfin's median sale price was $1,618,524, up 25.0% on 43 sales, with a median of 38 days on market and 3.3 months of supply. Zillow's typical value was $1,445,816, up 2.9%, the lowest of the city ZIPs. The Census counts 23% of homes here as owner-occupied, so condos and small rentals dominate. 93101 data.
Santa Barbara ZIP 93103
Redfin's median was $1,856,954, down 25.7% on 46 sales, the weakest result in the city. Homes took a median of 80 days and sold at 94.9% of list, so this is the ZIP where buyers had the most room to negotiate. Zillow's typical value rose 6.4% to $1,700,080, which suggests the drop reflects which homes sold rather than a fall in values. 93103 data.
Santa Barbara ZIP 93105
Redfin's median was $1,964,423, up 9.4% on 52 sales, the most of any city ZIP, with 37 days on market and 98.6% of list. Zillow's typical value was $1,887,479, up 4.5%. 93105 data.
Santa Barbara ZIP 93109
The most expensive ZIP: Redfin's median was $2,449,280, down 7.0% on only 19 sales. Homes sold fast, in a median of 22 days at 99.5% of list, but supply was 4.9 months, the highest in the city. Zillow's typical value was $2,339,649, up 5.2%. 93109 data.
Santa Barbara ZIP 93110
Redfin's median was $1,464,145, down 19.8% on 45 sales, with 52 days on market. Zillow's typical value was $1,887,353, up 6.8%, the fastest gain of the six ZIPs. Part of this ZIP is outside the city in Hope Ranch. 93110 data.
Santa Barbara ZIP 93111
Redfin's median was $1,554,043, down 18.1% on 49 sales. This was the tightest ZIP: 1.9 months of supply and an average of 99.7% of list price. Zillow's typical value was $1,645,855, up 2.9%. 93111 data.
Differences by Santa Barbara neighborhood
Zillow's neighborhood values show a wider spread than the ZIPs. In September 2026 the typical value ran from $1,108,745 in Lower East to $4,642,252 in Campanil, south of Hope Ranch. The fastest one-year gains were in Eucalyptus Hill (12.1%), Campanil (11.6%), Alta Mesa (10.5%) and Hope (10.0%). Only North State fell, by 1.0%, and West Downtown (0.7%) and Samarkand (0.5%) were flat. Our Santa Barbara neighborhoods guide profiles each area.
Condos, houses, luxury and new homes in Santa Barbara
Condos vs houses in Santa Barbara County
Redfin publishes property-type splits for the county, not the city. For September 2026 alone, which may still be revised, the county median was $953,632 for condos and co-ops and $1,272,369 for single-family homes. Condos are the main way into the city for buyers below about $1.5 million, especially in 93101, where most homes are not owner-occupied. See our Santa Barbara condos guide.
Luxury: Campanil, the Riviera and Montecito
The top of the market sits in neighborhoods such as Campanil and the Riviera and next door in Montecito, where Redfin's three-month median to September 2026 was $6,197,049 with 5.2 months of supply and 59 days on market. That is a slower, more negotiable market than the city as a whole. See our Montecito guide.
New construction
Few new for-sale homes are built inside the city. Most new supply is rental apartments under the city's Average Unit-Size Density program, plus custom homes and ADUs. Our Santa Barbara new homes page lists what we could verify.
Is now a good time to buy a home in Santa Barbara?
It depends on your timeline and income, not on calling the market. Points in favor: inventory and price cuts give you more choice than in 2021 and 2022, homes sold at 97.4% of list on average, and buyers negotiated more in 93103 and 93110. Points against: Zillow's typical value is at a record, and borrowing is expensive. Freddie Mac's 30-year rate averaged 7.24% in the week of October 29, 2026. At that rate, 20% down on the Redfin median of $1,880,105 leaves a loan payment of about $10,250 a month before tax and insurance. Property tax adds about $1,646 a month at the City of Santa Barbara's 2026-27 rate of 1.05079%; see our Santa Barbara County property tax guide.
If you plan to stay at least five to seven years, can carry the payment comfortably and find a home that fits, waiting for a lower price is a guess. Get pre-approved, compare recent sales on the same street, and read our guide to buying a house in California.
Is now a good time to sell a home in Santa Barbara?
For a well-priced home, yes: 42% of Santa Barbara homes went under contract within two weeks, and 17.8% sold above list. The risk is overpricing. With a fifth of metro listings cutting price and a median of 44 days on market, a home that starts too high tends to sit. Price it from sales in the last 90 days in your own ZIP, fix what an inspector will find, and budget for documentary transfer tax; see our California transfer tax guide and how to sell a house in California.
Santa Barbara housing market forecast
We do not make our own forecast. Zillow's home value forecast for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metro, from a September 2026 base, calls for a 0.3% rise by October 2026, 0.4% by December 2026 and 1.9% by September 2027. That is a forecast for the whole county and it is modest: it implies values roughly keeping pace with the past year rather than a jump or a fall. Mortgage rates, insurance costs and the large rental projects proposed at La Cumbre Plaza are the local factors most likely to move it. For the statewide picture, see our California housing market guide.