Apartments for Rent in Santa Barbara, CA

Prices and availability in Santa Barbara, CA were last updated on 18 May 2026.

The best apartments in Santa Barbara, CA are: 228 W Ortega Street, Arlington Village, 611 W. Sola Street, 2212 Cliff Drive and The Messina.

The average rent in Santa Barbara, CA is $2,899.

The price range for a studio apartment in Santa Barbara, CA is between $50 and $6,000.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA is between $50 and $4,545.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA is between $2,200 and $6,000.

The price range for a 3-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA is between $2,895 and $8,500.

In Santa Barbara, 60% of the residents are renting compared to 40% owning a home, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Large-scale apartment buildings with more than 50 units represent 6% of Santa Barbara's rentals, 70% are small-scale complexes with under 50 units, and 23% are single-family rentals.

The age and size of multifamily buildings are among the most visible characteristics of the rental market in a city. In this case, the apartment buildings in Santa Barbara are about 48 years old, on average. Of these, 20% have been built since 2000, representing the newer options on the market and typically offering more amenities. Rental buildings in the city have an average height of 3 stories. About all of the rental communities here are low-rise, garden-style communities, none are mid-rises, and none are high-rise buildings. These are true especially for large-scale multifamily buildings with over 50 apartments.

Rental apartments in Santa Barbara come in a range of sizes and floorplans. Studio apartments represent 17% of units for rent, ideal for singles, renters on a budget and people who value central locations more than space. Rentals with 1-bedroom floorplans make up 53% of the total apartments in the city, while 2-bedroom floorplans represent around 29% of all rentals in Santa Barbara. The rest are larger floorplans with 3 bedrooms or more, typically preferred by families, larger households or roommates sharing space.