Santa Barbara County, California property tax
The median homeowner in Santa Barbara County, California pays $4,870 a year in property tax on a home worth $735,700, an effective rate of 0.66%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.66%, Santa Barbara County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. This is the case where the rate misleads. Owners pay $4,870 a year, which is what matters, and the low percentage is a function of what housing is worth rather than of restraint by the county.
It ranks #46 of 56 California counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.71%, and #1,867 nationally. The state runs from 0.91% in Kern County down to 0.54% in Trinity County.
The median home costs 7.67 times the median household income of $95,977, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 25.63% of median income in gross rent. At 443,975 residents the county is large enough that its median blends several distinct housing markets.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Santa Barbara County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.66% | 0.71% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $4,870 | $4,926 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $735,700 | $695,400 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $2,050 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $95,977 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 7.67× | 7.22× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 25.63% | 24.37% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 52.87% | 55.79% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 443,975.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solano County | 0.75% | $4,408 | $589,600 |
| Monterey County | 0.66% | $4,782 | $723,100 |
| Placer County | 0.85% | $5,600 | $658,800 |
| Tulare County | 0.73% | $2,213 | $303,000 |
| Sonoma County | 0.72% | $5,580 | $779,000 |
Santa Barbara County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Santa Barbara County, California?
The effective rate is 0.66% of home value, from a median tax bill of $4,870 against a median home value of $735,700. That is 0.32 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Santa Barbara County?
Roughly $2,640 a year at the county effective rate of 0.66%.
Is Santa Barbara County expensive compared with the rest of California?
It ranks #46 of 56 California counties by effective property tax rate, and #1867 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.05 points below the California average of 0.71%.
What does housing cost in Santa Barbara County?
The median home is worth $735,700 and median gross rent is $2,050 a month. Median household income is $95,977, which puts the home at 7.67 times annual income and rent at 25.63% of it.