Apartments for Rent in Santa Maria, CA

Prices and availability in Santa Maria, CA were last updated on 24 Oct 2026.

The best apartments in Santa Maria, CA are: Montiavo, La Vista, Siena Apartments, Las Brisas and Azure Apartments.

The average rent in Santa Maria, CA is $2,360.

The price range for a studio apartment in Santa Maria, CA is between $1,295 and $2,784.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Maria, CA is between $1,095 and $3,166.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Maria, CA is between $1,095 and $4,003.

The price range for a 3-bedroom apartment in Santa Maria, CA is between $1,531 and $4,712.

In Santa Maria 50% of the housing is rented out compared to 50% of homes are owned, according to the most recent Census Bureau estimates. 12% of Santa Maria's apartments are found in large buildings of 50 units or more, 50% are located in smaller apartment complexes with less than 50 units, and 36% 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 Maria are about 30 years old, on average. Of these, 42% 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 2 stories. About 97% of the rental communities here are low-rise, garden-style communities, 3% 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 Maria come in a range of sizes and floorplans. Studio apartments represent 13% 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 34% of the total apartments in the city, while 2-bedroom floorplans represent around 40% of all rentals in Santa Maria. The rest are larger floorplans with 3 bedrooms or more, typically preferred by families, larger households or roommates sharing space.