Where new homes are being built in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara builds very little new for-sale housing. In the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey, only 4.2% of the city's 39,204 homes were built in 2010 or later, and 73.5% were built before 1980. There is no master-planned community selling new tract homes inside the city. New homes come from four sources instead:
- Small luxury enclaves such as Polo Residences and the gated La Romana Estates, where a handful of homes are built at a time.
- Custom and rebuilt homes on single lots in the hillside and bluff neighborhoods, usually sold once finished.
- Large rental projects under the city's Average Unit-Size Density (AUD) Incentive Program, which the city says is meant to add rental housing near transit, shops and parks.
- Accessory dwelling units added behind existing houses, which the city tracks on its ADU project map.
The pressure to build is rising. The city adopted its 2023-2031 Housing Element in December 2023 to plan for 8,001 new homes, received a Prohousing Designation from the state housing department, and certified a program environmental impact report for its housing plan on August 11, 2026.
New home communities and projects in Santa Barbara
Polo Residences, next to the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club
Polo Residences is the closest thing to a new-home community with a Santa Barbara mailing address. Listings describe a new enclave of three- and four-bedroom homes of about 2,500 to 4,000 square feet in a coastal modern farmhouse style, facing the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, with Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances. In October 2026, 123 Polo Way (three bedrooms, 2,512 sq ft) was listed at $3,400,000 and 105 Polo Way (three bedrooms, 2,528 sq ft, sold furnished) at $4,300,000. The homes carry a Santa Barbara address, but confirm which city or County jurisdiction, school district and tax rate area the lot is in before you compare it with homes in town.
La Romana Estates, a gated hillside enclave
La Romana Estates is a gated community of Spanish-style estate homes in the Santa Barbara hills, built from 2005 onward with some homes still being built. Homes average about 5,000 square feet on large parcels, and the HOA covers the gate and common grounds. No homes were listed in October 2026. See our Santa Barbara gated communities guide for how it compares with other gated options.
The Neighborhood at State & Hope (former Macy's site)
This is the largest housing proposal in the city. The owner of the 8.7-acre Macy's site at 3805 State Street, at the north end of La Cumbre Plaza, filed a planning application on June 6, 2024 for a 680-unit mixed-use rental project under the AUD program and the State Density Bonus law, with moderate- and very low-income units, market-rate units, retail, dining and public space. The city case number is PLN2024-00227. These are rentals, not homes for sale, but they will change the area around upper State Street.
La Cumbre South Homes (former Sears site)
On May 14, 2025 the owner of the 9.5-acre former Sears site at 3845 State Street, the south end of La Cumbre Plaza, applied to build 443 rental homes under the AUD program, including moderate-income affordable units (case PLN2025-00238). The city places La Cumbre Plaza in its Priority Housing Overlay at 37 to 63 units per acre and names it, with downtown and parts of Milpas Street, as a location for the city's highest residential densities.
New custom homes in Santa Barbara's hillside neighborhoods
Most newly built houses for sale are one-off custom homes. Examples listed as new construction in October 2026: 3218 Campanil Drive, a modern estate of about 7,700 square feet of finished space 500 feet above the coast, at $29,995,000; a newly built estate on 2.4 acres on Sea Cliff, designed by Anacapa and built by Bottenfield Construction, at $23,000,000; 1045 Via Tranquila, completed in 2023 and built by Leonard Unander Associates, at $15,495,000; and 1213 Harbor Hills Drive, completed in 2022, at $12,500,000. Smaller newer homes include 1118 N Patterson Avenue, built in 2020 (four bedrooms, 2,735 sq ft), at $3,488,000.
New manufactured homes at Rancho Santa Barbara (55+)
The lowest-priced new home we found was a 2026-built, two-bedroom, 1,100-square-foot manufactured home at 333 Old Mill Road in the Rancho Santa Barbara 55+ mobile home park, listed at $779,000 with space rent of $769 a month under rent control and a factory warranty. You buy the home, not the land, so read the park rules and the rent terms. Our Santa Barbara 55+ guide covers age-restricted options.
Accessory dwelling units
For many owners the realistic new home is an ADU. The city publishes a map of every ADU project that has applied for a permit, marked as pending, issued or completed with a certificate of occupancy. If you are buying a house to add one, check the lot on that map and read our California ADU rules guide.
Santa Barbara new construction compared
| Project | Type | Size | Price or status (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polo Residences | For sale, detached | 3-4 bedrooms, about 2,500-4,000 sq ft | $3,400,000 to $4,300,000 listed |
| La Romana Estates | For sale, gated estates | About 5,000 sq ft average | No current listings |
| The Neighborhood at State & Hope | Rental, mixed use | 680 units | Planning application filed June 6, 2024 |
| La Cumbre South Homes | Rental | 443 units | Planning application filed May 14, 2025 |
| Custom hillside homes | For sale, single homes | About 2,700-8,700 sq ft | $3,488,000 to $29,995,000 listed |
| Rancho Santa Barbara | Manufactured home, 55+ | 2 bedrooms, 1,100 sq ft | $779,000 plus $769 a month space rent |
Prices are asking prices from listings, not sale prices. Check the city's multi-unit housing map for the current status of each rental project.
Mello-Roos, HOA dues and property tax on new Santa Barbara homes
Mello-Roos on new Santa Barbara homes
We did not find a Mello-Roos district covering Santa Barbara's new homes. Our county guide found no community facilities district on the sample bills it opened, but always read the preliminary title report and a current tax bill for the parcel. If a seller discloses a special tax, our Mello-Roos guide explains how it works.
Property tax and HOA dues on a new Santa Barbara home
Property tax on a new home is based on the purchase price. In the City of Santa Barbara's main tax rate area the 2026-27 rate is 1.05079%. A new home also gets a supplemental tax bill for the period between purchase and the next roll; see our Santa Barbara County property tax guide. For an enclave such as Polo Residences or La Romana Estates, ask for the HOA budget, what the dues cover, and whether the builder still controls the board.
New vs resale homes in Santa Barbara: what you pay
Because so few new homes are built, there is no new-home discount in Santa Barbara. Redfin's median sale price for all city homes was $1,880,105 for the three months to September 2026, and Zillow's typical home value was $1,805,649 in September 2026. The newest single-family homes listed in October 2026 started around $3.4 million, nearly twice the Redfin median. A resale home that needs work is the usual way to get a newer interior for less: buy an older house and remodel, budgeting for design review and permit time. Our Santa Barbara housing market report has prices by ZIP.
Inspections and warranties on new Santa Barbara homes
- Hire your own inspector, even on a brand-new home, and inspect before drywall if the home is still being built.
- Get the warranty in writing: ask the builder what it covers, for how long, and how to file a claim. The Rancho Santa Barbara listing, for example, mentions a factory warranty on the home itself.
- Check the final permits: confirm the city or County signed off and issued a certificate of occupancy. For ADUs, the city's map shows completed projects.
- Check hazards: hillside homes in Campanil and on the Riviera may be in a fire hazard zone, which affects insurance. See our wildfire zones guide and homeowners insurance guide.
Buying a new home in Santa Barbara with an agent
Custom homes and small enclaves here are usually sold through listing agents rather than a builder's sales office, so the agent representing you matters. Register your agent on your first visit to any builder-run project, and expect to sign a written buyer agreement that sets out how your agent is paid. Our commission guide explains the rules that changed in 2024. A local agent can also tell you which recent new builds sold, for how much, and which ones sat. If you want a name, see our featured local agent.