Department of Numbers

Santa Barbara, California Home Affordability

The data below measures home affordability for the Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, California metropolitan area using price-to-income and price-to-rent metrics.1 The maximum affordable loan amount for the median household income is also calculated. You can also compare Santa Barbara home affordability to other cities.

Santa Barbara, California Home Price-to-Income Ratios

The second chart shows a history of the ratio as an index calculated from the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Santa Barbara HPI series. Median household income data for Santa Barbara is from the Census American Community Survey.

Price-to-Income Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Santa Barbara, California Home Price-to-Income Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
September 2011 124.0
June 2011 124.2
March 2011 126.8
December 2010 132.5
September 2010 132.6
June 2010 131.9
March 2010 132.7
December 2009 129.2
September 2009 129.1

Santa Barbara, California Home Price-to-Rent Ratios

The chart below shows an index of the rent ratio calculated from the metro FHFA HPI series and the Santa Barbara median contract rent data from the Census ACS.

Price-to-Rent Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Santa Barbara, California Home Price-to-Rent Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
September 2011 97.8
June 2011 97.9
March 2011 100.0
December 2010 104.5
September 2010 104.5
June 2010 104.0
March 2010 104.7
December 2009 105.9
September 2009 105.9

Santa Barbara, California Inferred Affordable Mortgage

The inferred affordable mortgage value is determined by taking the median household income for Santa Barbara, California and calculating the mortgage 30% of that income could afford. Traditionally, 30% of income is the maximum amount a homeowner could use towards a home loan. Inferred affordable loan values are calculated from ACS median household income and average monthly mortgage rates.

Inferred Affordable Mortgage

Santa Barbara, California Inferred Affordable Mortgage History

Date Inferred Mortgage
November 2011 $297,621
October 2011 $294,765
September 2011 $293,352
August 2011 $287,800
July 2011 $278,454
June 2011 $279,761
May 2011 $275,547
April 2011 $269,249
March 2011 $269,249
February 2011 $265,877
January 2011 $271,742
December 2010 $273,318
November 2010 $286,776

1. Specifically, home prices are from the non seasonally adjusted FHFA all-transactions quarterly series. Dollar ratios are calculated using NAR metro prices when available. Rent and income data are from the Census ACS and are carried forward into the following year prior to release of the new data.