Apartments for Rent in Santa Barbara, CA

Prices and availability in Santa Barbara, CA were last updated on 17 Jul 2026.

The best apartments in Santa Barbara, CA are: The Marc, Rancho Franciscan Senior Apartments, The Messina, Coronel Place Apartments and La Brezza.

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 $5,200.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA is between $908 and $5,195.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA is between $50 and $5,950.

The price range for a 3-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA is between $908 and $11,500.

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 average age of rental buildings in Santa Barbara is 48 years old, with 20% being newer apartment buildings completed since 2000. The average height of apartment buildings in the city is 3 stories, of which all are garden-style apartment communities, none are mid-sized buildings, and none are high-rises. These characteristics describe large-scale apartment communities of 50 apartments or more.

Studio apartments in Santa Barbara are around 17% of rentals, while 1-bedroom floor plans represent 53% of the total stock. For those in search of larger rentals, 2-bedroom floorplans make up 29% of all rentals. More generous apartments with 3 bedrooms or more are also available in this city for those in search of more space.