Apartments for Rent in Santa Barbara, CA

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

The best apartments in Santa Barbara, CA are: The Marc, The Messina, Rancho Franciscan Senior Apartments, 608-612 Santa Barbara St. and 125-135 W. Los Olivos.

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 $4,595.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA is between $908 and $4,545.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, CA is between $50 and $5,800.

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

In Santa Barbara 60% of the housing is rented out compared to 40% of homes are owned, according to the most recent Census Bureau estimates. 6% of Santa Barbara's apartments are found in large buildings of 50 units or more, 70% are located in smaller apartment complexes with less than 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.

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.