HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Santa Barbara County, California (FY 2026)
$3,124 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Santa Barbara County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Santa Barbara is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$3,124
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,812 to $3,436
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$124,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
7th of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Santa Barbara moves to $3,106. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Santa Barbara actually rent for?
Search any address in Santa Barbara for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,459 | $2,213 to $2,705 | $98,360 | $47.29/hr | +3.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,746 | $2,471 to $3,021 | $109,840 | $52.81/hr | +2.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $3,124 | $2,812 to $3,436 | $124,960 | $60.08/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $4,075 | $3,668 to $4,483 | $163,000 | $78.37/hr | +1.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $4,647 | $4,182 to $5,112 | $185,880 | $89.37/hr | +4.0% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $5,344 | $4,810 to $5,878 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $6,041 | $5,437 to $6,645 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $6,738 | $6,064 to $7,412 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $7,435 | $6,692 to $8,179 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Santa Barbara, that runs from $2,459 for a studio up to $4,647 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Santa Barbara is its own HUD metro area (Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among California's 58 counties, Santa Barbara ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 85% above the state median of $1,687 and about 207% above the national median county at $1,018. About 445,213 people live here, 20th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,730 in 93254 (New Cuyama) and $4,440 in 93109 (Santa Barbara), with the 40 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93013 | Carpinteria | $3,520 | +12.7% |
| 93014 | Carpinteria | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93067 | Summerland | $3,740 | +19.7% |
| 93101 | Santa Barbara | $3,870 | +23.9% |
| 93102 | Santa Barbara | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93103 | Santa Barbara | $3,600 | +15.2% |
| 93105 | Santa Barbara | $3,690 | +18.1% |
| 93106 | Santa Barbara | $3,450 | +10.4% |
| 93107 | Santa Barbara | $3,124County rate | — |
| 93108 | Santa Barbara | $4,090 | +30.9% |
| 93109 | Santa Barbara | $4,440 | +42.1% |
| 93110 | Santa Barbara | $3,600 | +15.2% |
| 93111 | Santa Barbara | $4,300 | +37.6% |
| 93116 | Goleta | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93117 | Goleta | $3,450 | +10.4% |
| 93118 | Goleta | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93120 | Santa Barbara | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93121 | Santa Barbara | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93130 | Santa Barbara | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93140 | Santa Barbara | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93150 | Santa Barbara | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93160 | Santa Barbara | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93190 | Santa Barbara | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93199 | Goleta | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93254 | New Cuyama | $2,730 | -12.6% |
| 93427 | Buellton | $3,390 | +8.5% |
| 93429 | Casmalia | $3,450 | +10.4% |
| 93434 | Guadalupe | $2,730 | -12.6% |
| 93436 | Lompoc | $2,730 | -12.6% |
| 93437 | Lompoc | $3,700 | +18.4% |
| 93438 | Lompoc | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93440 | Los Alamos | $3,000 | -4.0% |
| 93441 | Los Olivos | $3,550 | +13.6% |
| 93454 | Santa Maria | $2,730 | -12.6% |
| 93455 | Santa Maria | $3,410 | +9.2% |
| 93456 | Santa Maria | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93457 | Santa Maria | $3,120 | -0.1% |
| 93458 | Santa Maria | $2,850 | -8.8% |
| 93460 | Santa Ynez | $4,170 | +33.5% |
| 93463 | Solvang | $2,770 | -11.3% |
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Santa Barbara somewhere between $2,812 and $3,436. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$3,124 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $124,960 a year. Put another way, $60 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($2,812) | HAP at 100% ($3,124) | HAP at 110% ($3,436) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $2,062 | $2,374 | $2,686 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,612 | $1,924 | $2,236 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($3,028) to FY 2026 ($3,124). Since FY 2020 it's up 34% in total, about 5.1% a year. The California median moved up 9% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1,684 | $1,964 | $2,324 | $3,101 | $3,572 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,728 | $2,015 | $2,374 | $3,137 | $3,589 | +2.2% |
| FY 2022 | $1,875 | $2,157 | $2,516 | $3,316 | $3,790 | +6.0% |
| FY 2023 | $2,040 | $2,350 | $2,667 | $3,520 | $4,001 | +6.0% |
| FY 2024 | $2,330 | $2,651 | $2,994 | $3,996 | $4,528 | +12.3% |
| FY 2025 | $2,381 | $2,688 | $3,028 | $4,011 | $4,468 | +1.1% |
| FY 2026 | $2,459 | $2,746 | $3,124 | $4,075 | $4,647 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $2,479 | $2,711 | $3,106 | $3,990 | $4,557 | -0.6% |
Nearby counties
Ventura County
$2,69358 mi · pop 842,009
San Luis Obispo County
$2,51267 mi · pop 281,712
Kern County
$1,48388 mi · pop 906,883
Los Angeles County
$2,601103 mi · pop 9,936,690
Kings County
$1,469111 mi · pop 152,515
Tulare County
$1,474126 mi · pop 473,446
Orange County
$3,236134 mi · pop 3,175,227
Fresno County
$1,664150 mi · pop 1,008,280
Questions people ask
$3,124 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $2,459 for a studio, $2,746 for one bedroom, $4,075 for three and $4,647 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Santa Barbara actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Santa Barbara for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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