Santa Maria, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Santa Maria

Santa Barbara County · Santa Maria-Santa Barbara · population 111,346

Santa Maria, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Santa Maria, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Santa Maria stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $658,222
1-year +2.1%
5-yr CAGR +5.9%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$658k$330k$448k$566k$685k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
67/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,468/mo$1,861$2,294$2,728202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent133125100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 22.2
Lean rent

At a 22.2 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Santa Maria. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
61 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
69 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
52 · w16%
Rent YoY
57 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
70 · w10%
Long thesis

Santa Maria has held up across the cycle: home values at $658,222 with +5.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Santa Maria's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Santa Maria

Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, with an estimated population of 111,346. It anchors the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metro area. The median home value in Santa Maria is $658,222 as of 2026-04, up 2.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Santa Maria average $2,468 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.8%). The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.9% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Santa Maria (Wikipedia)

Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast of California, it is approximately 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Santa Barbara and 150 miles (240 km) northwest of Los Angeles. Its population was 109,707 at the 2020 census. The city is notable for its wine industry and Santa Maria–style barbecue.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorAlice Patino
Area23.42 sq mi
Elevation217 ft
Founded1874Citation needed
NicknameBBQ Capital of California
Density4809.60/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Santa Barbara County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Santa Barbara County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Santa Maria

Madera, CA71 · RisingGarden Grove, CA69 · RisingHanford, CA70 · RisingLompoc, CA66 · Rising

Run the numbers for Santa Maria

ToolCan I afford Santa Maria?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Santa Maria rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Santa Maria to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSanta Maria cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Santa Maria listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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