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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Santa Barbara County, California

Santa Barbara County has an effective property tax rate of 0.65%. On the median home value of $790,700, that's roughly $5,103 per year. Median household income is $98,161.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.65%
median tax $5,103 ÷ median home $790,700
Median Home Value1
$790,700
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$98,161
per-capita $48,028
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$5,103
at 0.65% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricSanta Barbara CountyCalifornia (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.65%0.70%
Median home value1$790,700—
State income tax3top rate 13.30%top rate 13.30%
State sales tax39.03% combined9.03% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Santa Barbara County, CA

Santa Barbara County’s effective property tax rate of 0.645% sits below California’s statewide median of 0.698%, and it trails the national median of 0.794% by a wider margin. Among the state’s 58 counties, it ranks 47th, placing it among the lower-taxed areas in California. That lower rate doesn’t translate into a small bill, though, because property values here are high: the median home is worth $790,700, generating a median annual tax of $5,103. With median household income at $98,161 and per-capita income of $48,028, the tax load reflects expensive real estate more than an aggressive rate. Santa Barbara, the largest city in the county, anchors a market where the rate itself is comparatively restrained, even as the dollar amounts remain substantial.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Santa Barbara County, CA?
The effective rate is 0.65% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.65% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($790,700), the estimated annual bill is about $5,103.
Is Santa Barbara County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.70% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Santa Barbara County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Santa Barbara County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.