Airbnb market dataThrough 650 listingsHow we measure
A typical active Airbnb in Santa Barbara, CA earned $110,720 in the 12 months to Sep 2026, with the median listing booked 57% of nights and an average nightly rate of $349 in Sep 2026.
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A typical active Santa Barbara Airbnb earned $110,720 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The bottom 25%, which includes rarely booked listings, averaged $7,032.
$7k
Bottom 25% average
$102.2k
Top 25% average
$110.7k
Typical listing
1-bedroom homes are the most common in Santa Barbara (53% of listings).
| Bedrooms | Share of listings | Nightly rate | Occupancy | Est. revenue/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 4% | $237 | 49% | $42,591 |
| 1 bedroom | 53% | $299 | 54% | $58,421 |
| 2 bedrooms | 19% | $534 | 52% | $100,822 |
| 3 bedrooms | 15% | $847 | 51% | $157,972 |
| 4 bedrooms | 7% | $1,064 | 47% | $181,412 |
| 5 bedrooms | 2% | $1,339 | 39% | $192,003 |
Estimated revenue = nightly rate × occupancy × 365, last 12 months.
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The best three months, Jan, Dec and Oct, brought in 32% of a typical Santa Barbara listing's revenue over the 12 months to Sep 2026.
Jan brings in 3.0× as much as Jun
Typical monthly revenue per listing, Oct 2025–Sep 2026
| Month | Revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | Revenue a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | $11,757 | 53% | $329 | |
| Nov 2025 | $11,658 | 50% | $320 | |
| Dec 2025 | $11,766 | 48% | $349 | |
| Jan 2026 | $11,849 | 40% | $295 | |
| Feb 2026 | $9,872 | 45% | $333 | |
| Mar 2026 | $10,849 | 57% | $352 | |
| Apr 2026 |
West Beach has the highest gross yield of the 8 Santa Barbara neighborhoods we rank, at 5.9%, with typical revenue of $86,019 a year.
| # | neighborhood | Gross yield | Revenue/yr | Occupancy | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Beach | 5.9% | $86,019 | ||
| 2 | Laguna | 5.7% | $91,071 | ||
| 3 | East Beach | 5.1% | $63,656 | ||
| 4 | Oak Park | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 5 | East Mesa | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 6 | West Mesa | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 7 | West Downtown | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 8 | Lower State | locked | locked | locked | locked |
Ranked by gross yield (typical yearly revenue ÷ median home value), last 12 months. 15 neighborhoods have fewer than 20 listings or incomplete data and aren't ranked.
Yield isn't everything: zoning and HOA rules decide which streets allow short-term rentals.
The median Santa Barbara home is worth $1,824,406 (Zillow, Aug 2026), up 4.5% in a year. At typical revenue that's a 6.1% gross yield, before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
The 10 largest operators in Santa Barbara each ran 5 or more listings as of May 2025.
and 3 more
Of guests from the top 10 cities, 77% live within a day's drive.
and 3 more
Santa Barbara ranks #26 of the 60 California markets we track by gross yield.
| # | Market | Gross yield | Revenue/yr | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twentynine Palms, CA | 11.9% | $29,362 | |
| 2 | Coachella, CA | 11.5% | $50,071 | |
| 3 | Palm Desert, CA | 11.4% | $61,533 | |
| 4 | Joshua Tree, CA | 10.9% | $37,732 | |
| 5 | Indio, CA | 10.5% | $53,281 | |
| 6 | Desert Hot Springs, CA | 10.4% | $39,002 | |
| 7 | Yucca Valley, CA | 10.2% | $36,548 | |
| 8 | Sugarloaf, CA | 9.8% | $28,800 | |
| 26 | Santa Barbara, CA (this market) | 6.1% | $110,720 |
None listed in Santa Barbara right now, so here are others in California.
$6,495,000
13244 Snowshoe Thompson, Truckee, CA, 96161
5 bd · 5 ba · 4,996 sq ft
$4,050,000
9217 Heartwood Dr, Truckee, CA, 96161
4 bd · 5 ba · 3,851 sq ft
$4,495,000
12237 Pete Alvertson Dr, Truckee, CA, 96161
4 bd · 5 ba · 4,004 sq ft
Buying here?
A Santa Barbara STR agent knows which properties and streets work as short-term rentals.
Selling a Santa Barbara Airbnb?
Get matched with a listing agent who sells short-term rentals here.
Need financing?
DSCR lenders qualify you on the property's projected rental income.
A typical active Airbnb in Santa Barbara, CA earned $110,720 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The median listing was booked 57% of nights, and the average nightly rate was $349 in Sep 2026. Against a median home value of $1,824,406, that's a 6.1% gross yield before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
A typical active listing earned $110,720 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The top 25% of listings averaged $102,180 and the bottom 25% $7,032. Estimated by size: 1-bedroom about $58,421; 2-bedroom about $100,822; 3-bedroom about $157,972 and 4-bedroom about $181,412 a year.
The typical listing was booked 57% of nights in the 12 months to Sep 2026, from 67% in July to 40% in January.
January; December and October earned the most, bringing in 32% of a typical listing's revenue in the 12 months to Sep 2026.
$1,824,406 as of August 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index), up 4.5% in a year.
1-bedroom homes make up 53% of listings, earning an estimated $58,421 a year.
The top origin cities are Los Angeles, CA (12.0% of guests); San Diego, CA (4.3% of guests) and San Francisco, CA (4.1% of guests). Of guests from the top 10 cities, 77% live within a day's drive.
Chalet tracks 650 short-term rental listings in Santa Barbara, CA, with data through Sep 2026.
Based on 650 Santa Barbara short-term rental listings tracked by Chalet, with data through Sep 2026. Home values come from the Zillow Home Value Index.
Airbnb data sites count different things. Some average every listing, including ones that are rarely booked; some use a whole metro area instead of the town; some use a calendar year. We show typical figures for active listings in Santa Barbara over the last 12 months, and label each number with what it counts. Compare like with like before comparing sites.
For education only, not financial, legal or investment advice. Full methodology
| $10,864 |
| 60% |
| $344 |
| May 2026 | $7,195 | 57% | $391 |
|---|
| Jun 2026 | $3,988 | 64% | $424 |
|---|
| Jul 2026 | $8,493 | 67% | $518 |
|---|
| Aug 2026 | $7,765 | 58% | $510 |
|---|
| Sep 2026 | $4,664 | 58% | $460 |
|---|