Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area, CA home price history and building permits
- Price trail: Santa Barbara County
- FHFA annual index 1975 to 2025
- Developmental index
- Permits through
The annual files of FHFA have no index for a city. The line on this page is the index of Santa Barbara County, the county of Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area. The FHFA annual house price index for Santa Barbara County increased by 87.8% from 2015 to 2025. Building permits in Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area authorized 644 housing units in the 12 months to August 2026.
2015
The annual files of FHFA have no index for a city. These figures are for the index of Santa Barbara County, the county of Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area.
+87.8%
From 2015 to 2025, the FHFA annual all-transactions index for Santa Barbara County increased by 87.8%.
From 2015 to 2025, the average change in each year is +6.5%, compounded.
| Area | Change | Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County | +87.8% | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +87.8% | |
| California | +80.3% | |
| United States | +85.0% |
- Santa Barbara County
- United States, set to the same start
- Recession (NBER dates)
- Your span
This is the price trail of Santa Barbara County, not of Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area. The annual files of FHFA have no index for a city.
Index values for each year
| Year | Index | Change from the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,595.54 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 2,513.64 | +5.8% |
| 2023 | 2,375.87 | +6.9% |
| 2022 | 2,221.83 | +19.4% |
| 2021 | 1,861.34 | +12.1% |
| 2020 | 1,660.62 | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 1,631.97 | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 1,586.87 | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 1,526.89 | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 1,472.78 | +6.6% |
| 2015 | 1,382.10 | +6.3% |
| 2014 | 1,300.46 | +13.9% |
| 2013 | 1,141.52 | +9.3% |
| 2012 | 1,044.69 | −2.2% |
| 2011 | 1,067.68 | −8.0% |
| 2010 | 1,160.08 | −5.1% |
| 2009 | 1,222.79 | −10.5% |
| 2008 | 1,365.58 | −18.9% |
| 2007 | 1,684.03 | −10.1% |
| 2006 | 1,874.06 | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 1,800.14 | +25.0% |
| 2004 | 1,439.77 | +22.3% |
| 2003 | 1,177.33 | +11.2% |
| 2002 | 1,058.54 | +16.5% |
| 2001 | 908.91 | +15.7% |
| 2000 | 785.26 | +14.6% |
| 1999 | 685.46 | +9.5% |
| 1998 | 626.24 | +9.2% |
| 1997 | 573.62 | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 557.43 | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 552.66 | −0.8% |
| 1994 | 556.94 | −1.3% |
| 1993 | 564.29 | −5.4% |
| 1992 | 596.29 | −3.1% |
| 1991 | 615.52 | −1.4% |
| 1990 | 624.05 | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 595.70 | +21.5% |
| 1988 | 490.44 | +15.6% |
| 1987 | 424.18 | +9.0% |
| 1986 | 389.31 | +5.4% |
| 1985 | 369.33 | +10.0% |
| 1984 | 335.65 | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 322.82 | +9.8% |
| 1982 | 294.03 | −7.4% |
| 1981 | 317.64 | +8.5% |
| 1980 | 292.67 | +21.6% |
| 1979 | 240.72 | +20.5% |
| 1978 | 199.78 | +19.0% |
| 1977 | 167.91 | +25.9% |
| 1976 | 133.34 | +33.3% |
| 1975 | 100.00 | n/a |
Each figure is the change of the FHFA annual all-transactions index, from the year that you pick to 2025. It is a change for the area. It is not the change in the value of your home, and it does not use the price that you paid.
The average for each year is a compounded annual change. The guide to values explains more.
When using the FHFA House Price Calculator, please note that it does not project the actual value of any particular house.
FHFA, about its own House Price Calculator: Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index Datasets, HPI Calculator, copied on . The calculator of FHFA uses quarterly figures. For the states and the 100 largest metro areas it uses the purchase-only index. Its figures can differ from the figures here.
Since the last FHFA release
No recorded FHFA release changed a figure of Santa Barbara County. The record of releases starts with the next FHFA release. FHFA releases recorded by this site
Same span, every level
| Area | 1 year2024 to 2025 | 5 years2020 to 2025 | 10 years2015 to 2025 | 20 years2005 to 2025 | Since 20002000 to 2025 | Each yearaverage of 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County | +3.3% | +56.3% | +87.8% | +44.2% | +230.5% | +6.5% |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +3.3% | +56.3% | +87.8% | +44.2% | +230.5% | +6.5% |
| California | +0.8% | +39.8% | +80.3% | +56.4% | +224.1% | +6.1% |
| United States | +2.8% | +47.0% | +85.0% | +79.1% | +158.3% | +6.3% |
The annual files of FHFA have no index for Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area. The first row is the index of Santa Barbara County.
Building permits in Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area
In the 12 months to August 2026, building permits in Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area authorized 644 housing units. In the 12 months before, permits authorized 188 units.
- Units in buildings with 1 unit
- Units in buildings with 2 or more units
Units for each month
| Month | All units | 1 unit | 2 or more units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Jul 2026 | 115 | 14 | 101 |
| Jun 2026 | 123 | 17 | 106 |
| May 2026 | 33 | 7 | 26 |
| Apr 2026 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Mar 2026 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Feb 2026 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Jan 2026 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Dec 2025 | 42 | 14 | 28 |
| Nov 2025 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Oct 2025 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 250 | 14 | 236 |
| Aug 2025 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| Jul 2025 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| Jun 2025 | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| Apr 2025 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| Feb 2025 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Jan 2025 | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| Dec 2024 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| Nov 2024 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Oct 2024 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 34 | 10 | 24 |
| Figure | Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area | Santa Barbara County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All units | 644 | 1,360 | 111,538 | 1,418,086 |
| In buildings with 1 unit | 147 (23%) | 449 (33%) | 55,792 (50%) | 888,241 (63%) |
| In buildings with 2 units | 28 | 42 | 4,172 | 34,814 |
| In buildings with 3 or 4 units | 0 | 65 | 1,193 | 17,298 |
| In buildings with 5 or more units | 469 (73%) | 804 (59%) | 50,381 (45%) | 477,733 (34%) |
| Units for each 1,000 residents | n/a | 3.1 | 2.8 | 4.1 |
| Change from the 12 months before | +242.6% | +159.5% | +13.8% | −0.1% |
- Units in buildings with 1 unit
- Units in buildings with 2 or more units
Units for each year
| Year | All units | 1 unit | 2 or more units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 437 | 173 | 264 |
| 2024 | 378 | 197 | 181 |
| 2023 | 126 | 123 | 3 |
| 2022 | 120 | 112 | 8 |
| 2021 | 180 | 126 | 54 |
| 2020 | 153 | 149 | 4 |
| 2019 | 258 | 241 | 17 |
| 2018 | 344 | 239 | 105 |
| 2017 | 400 | 207 | 193 |
| 2016 | 168 | 66 | 102 |
| 2015 | 368 | 139 | 229 |
| 2014 | 161 | 157 | 4 |
| 2013 | 198 | 186 | 12 |
| 2012 | 175 | 109 | 66 |
| 2011 | 125 | 87 | 38 |
| 2010 | 203 | 191 | 12 |
| 2009 | 129 | 118 | 11 |
| 2008 | 199 | 130 | 69 |
| 2007 | 191 | 189 | 2 |
| 2006 | 319 | 311 | 8 |
| 2005 | 340 | 313 | 27 |
| 2004 | 373 | 218 | 155 |
| 2003 | 373 | 306 | 67 |
| 2002 | 553 | 215 | 338 |
| 2001 | 332 | 242 | 90 |
| 2000 | 445 | 388 | 57 |
| 1999 | 385 | 355 | 30 |
| 1998 | 674 | 578 | 96 |
| 1997 | 447 | 299 | 148 |
| 1996 | 377 | 346 | 31 |
| 1995 | 313 | 261 | 52 |
A permit authorizes construction. It does not show that the work started or that it is complete. For a place that does not report each month, the Census Bureau imputes the monthly figures.
Agency pages
- Building Permits SurveyUS Census BureauThe survey of housing units that building permits authorize.
- FHFA House Price IndexFederal Housing Finance AgencyThe index page of FHFA: data, tools and the release dates.
- FHFA HPI CalculatorFederal Housing Finance AgencyThe calculator of FHFA. It works by quarter, for a state or a metro area.
Each link loaded on .
Cite this page
Home Value Trail. Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area, CA home price history and building permits. https://homevaluetrail.com/city/ca/santa-barbara-county-unincorporated-area/. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey; Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual house price index for Santa Barbara County. FHFA release of .
Where the figures come from
- Building permits
- US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place files through August 2026, permit office 411000. County, state and national figures from the county and state files.
- Price trail
- FHFA annual house price index for Santa Barbara County, 1975 to 2025. Release of March 31, 2026.
- County of the place
- The county code of the Building Permits Survey row, and the Census Bureau 2020 place by county file.
- Residents
- US Census Bureau, population estimates for 2025.
All files are works of the US government, in the public domain. To report an error, see Corrections.
Questions
- What kinds of buildings have permits in Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area?
- In the 12 months to August 2026, 147 units are in buildings with one unit. 28 units are in buildings with two to four units. 469 units are in buildings with five or more units.
- How does the count compare with the 12 months before?
- Permits authorized 188 housing units in the 12 months before. Permits authorized 644 housing units in the 12 months to August 2026. The count increased by 242.6% between the two periods.
- How many units have permits from 1995?
- Permits in Santa Barbara County Unincorporated Area authorized 9,244 housing units from 1995 to 2025. The year with the most units is 1998, with 674.