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Santa Barbara County · Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara property taxes. A rising market. A narrower opening.
The typical home in the city of Santa Barbara was worth about $1,794,000 in January 2026, 0.4% more than a year earlier. In a rising market most assessments stay below market value, so an appeal makes sense for specific homes, often ones bought near a past high, rather than whole neighborhoods.
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What Santa Barbara home values did
Santa Barbara values were at their high in January 2026.
Values have recovered 1.7% since January, through August 2026. That doesn't weaken a 2026 claim, which is judged as of January 1, 2026, but it may narrow any gap on the 2027 roll.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| January 2026 (2026 lien date month) | $1,794,000 |
| Peak since 2021 | $1,794,000 in January 2026 |
| January 2026 vs. peak | At the peak |
| January 2026 vs. January 2025 | +0.4% |
| Latest (August 2026) | $1,824,000 |
Which Santa Barbara owners may be over-assessed
Under Prop 13, your assessment starts at your purchase price and can rise up to 2% a year. Under Prop 8, it must drop to market value whenever market value as of January 1 is lower. The table compares a typical purchase in each year with the January 2026 typical value of $1,794,000.
| Bought in | Typical price that year | Rough 2026 assessment | vs. January 2026 value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,352,000 | $1,493,000 | Below market |
| 2022 | $1,692,000 | $1,832,000 | Possibly over-assessed by about $38,000 |
| 2023 | $1,687,000 | $1,790,000 | Below market |
| 2024 | $1,772,000 | $1,843,000 | Possibly over-assessed by about $49,000 |
| 2025 | $1,768,000 | $1,803,000 | Close to market |
The buyers most likely to be over-assessed are those who bought in 2022 and 2024. A typical 2024 purchase would carry a 2026 assessment of roughly $1,843,000 after the 2% annual increases, about $49,000 more than the January 2026 typical value. At California's 1% base tax rate, that's on the order of $490 a year before local voter-approved add-ons.
This is an illustration built on citywide typical values, not an estimate of your home. Your assessment notice shows your actual assessed value, and some assessors lower values on their own in a falling market, so check it first. If you do appeal, your evidence has to show your home's market value.
Santa Barbara County deadlines
- 2026 regular filing period: July 2 through November 30, 2026. If you think the 2026 value is too high, this is the window.
- Informal review: the Santa Barbara County Assessor may review a decline-in-value request informally. File the formal application anyway if the deadline is close; an informal review doesn't extend it.
- Supplemental or escape assessments: these have their own deadline, generally 60 days from the notice date. Check the notice.
Where Santa Barbara owners file
Santa Barbara assessments are set by the Santa Barbara County Assessor. Formal appeals go to the county's assessment appeals board, not to the city.
| Form | BOE-305-AH, the state Assessment Appeal Application |
|---|---|
| Filing deadline | November 30 (regular window) |
| Where to file | Santa Barbara County Clerk of the Board (assessment appeals) |
| Assessor | countyofsb.org · 805-568-2550 |
Confirm the current form, fee and address with the county before you file. The Santa Barbara County guide lists step-by-step instructions and official links.
Building a Santa Barbara case
Market averages explain why an appeal might work. The board decides on evidence about one property. Look for sales of similar homes in Santa Barbara that closed near January 1, 2026. The BOE treats comparable sales as the strongest evidence for a home, and the appeals board can't consider sales more than 90 days after the valuation date. Match living area, age, condition, lot and location as closely as you can, and write down every difference you can't adjust for.
Santa Barbara sits in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metro, but neighborhood differences matter more than metro trends. A sale across town can be a weaker comparison than one a few streets away.
A Vulorean report pulls comparable sales and a January 1 value opinion into one document you can file with. Eligible self-file reports are free during launch, with no payment card required. Review every comparison before you use it; you know your home's condition better than any dataset.
Check your Santa Barbara property for free
Start with your address. Eligible self-file reports are free during launch; an account and available report allowance are required. County filing fees are separate.
Start my free property check →Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, mid-tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through August 2026, from Zillow Research. Purchase-year rows use each year's average typical value and assume the maximum 2% annual increase. Deadlines: California BOE county filing periods. Vulorean is an independent service, not a government office.