Living here
Average rent in Santa Maria
What renters actually pay, by number of bedrooms, and how Santa Maria compares with California and the US.
Median rent
$1,842/mo
37% above US
1 bedroom
$1,510/mo
28% above US
2 bedrooms
$1,785/mo
33% above US
Renters paying 30%+ of income
58%
US 50%
Renter households
14,202
Rent by number of bedrooms
Median gross rent (contract rent plus utilities) for occupied rental units, by bedrooms. Income needed uses the 30% rule.
How Santa Maria compares
- Santa Maria$1,271
- California$1,531
- United States$1,185
- Santa Maria$1,510
- California$1,709
- United States$1,180
- Santa Maria$1,785
- California$2,014
- United States$1,338
- Santa Maria$2,188
- California$2,262
- United States$1,500
Two-bedroom rent in nearby cities
- Santa Maria$1,785
- San Luis Obispo$2,147
- Paso Robles$1,803
- Oxnard$1,856
- Thousand Oaks$2,485
- Simi Valley$2,459
- Visalia$1,285
- Fresno$1,293
- Beverly Hills$3,369
- Santa Maria58%
- San Luis Obispo68%
- Paso Robles57%
- Oxnard57%
- Thousand Oaks57%
- Simi Valley66%
- Visalia48%
- Fresno58%
- Beverly Hills54%
Nearby cities are other Local City Network guides in California, nearest first.
What rent can you afford?
At 30% of income you can spend about $1,785 a month.
- Studio $1,271
- 1 bedroom $1,510
- 2 bedrooms $1,785
- 3 bedrooms $2,188
- 4 bedrooms $2,452
Green means the median Santa Maria rent for that size fits your budget. Landlords often ask for income of 2.5–3× the monthly rent.
How stretched are renters?
58% of Santa Maria renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 27% spend half or more. The typical renter household puts 33.6% of its income toward rent (US: 50% and 25%).
Rent by zip code
Median gross rent for each ZIP Code Tabulation Area that overlaps Santa Maria.
HUD fair market rents
HUD’s 2027 fair market rents for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA are the payment benchmarks for housing vouchers (about the 40th percentile of recent movers’ rents), so they often differ from the medians above.
More on living in Santa Maria
Neighborhoods of Santa Maria
Questions
What is the average rent in Santa Maria?
The median gross rent (rent plus utilities) is $1,842 a month, 6% below the California median and 37% above the national median.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Santa Maria?
The median one-bedroom rents for $1,510 a month (US: $1,180).
How much is a two-bedroom in Santa Maria?
The median two-bedroom rents for $1,785 a month (US: $1,338).
How much do you need to make to rent in Santa Maria?
Using the common 30% rule, a median two-bedroom ($1,785) takes a household income of about $71,400 a year, and a one-bedroom about $60,400.
Is rent affordable in Santa Maria?
About 58% of Santa Maria renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 27% spend at least half (US: 50% and 25%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables B25031, B25070 and B25071). Estimates have margins of error; figures are in 2023 dollars.