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New Report Fall 2026 Housing Affordability Report: every state is less affordable than in late August as average 30-year mortgage rates passed 7%. Read the report

Santa Barbara, CA Housing Affordability Index

Santa Barbara, California has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 51.5 (Significantly Less Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 782nd most affordable of 785 scored California cities, compared with 67.5 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $1,570,800 home with 20% down, a jumbo loan at 7.50% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $8,787, or 99% of the city’s $106,182 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Santa Barbara is updated every night from live California mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income, home value and housing cost data for the city. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Santa Barbara MBR-HAI 51.5 Significantly Less Affordable
Rank in California 782 of 785 1 = most affordable
California 67.5 Statewide score
National 97.4 100 = baseline
Avg 30-yr rate 7.25% California lenders
Median home value $1,570,800 U.S. Census Bureau

Santa Barbara is 16.0 points below the California score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the California index

View Santa Barbara Mortgage Rates

What It Takes to Buy in Santa Barbara

$8,787/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.50% jumbo
$376,600
Income Needed
To keep the payment at 28% of income
$106,182
Median Household Income
California: $99,122
14.8x
Price-to-Income Ratio
California: 7.4x
$2,779/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$8,506/yr
Median Property Tax
0.54% of median value
37.4%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
53.8%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for Santa Barbara, California. The rate is the California average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state. A 20% down loan on the median home here is above the $941,850 conforming limit, so the index adds 0.25% for jumbo pricing.

How Santa Barbara Ranks in California

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Cite the Santa Barbara Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. Santa Barbara, California score: 51.5 (Significantly Less Affordable), ranked 782 of 785 California cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/california/santa-barbara”