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Featured local agent — Santa Maria, CA
Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Santa Maria, CA
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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Santa Maria, CA Housing Market
The typical home in Santa Maria, CA is worth $668,983, rose 4.0% over the past year (Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026). The last median sale price Redfin published was $623,750, +0.6% year over year (through May 2026). With 1.9 months of supply and homes going under contract in about 19 days, Santa Maria is a strong seller's market. At today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate, 20% down on a $668,983 home is about $3,439/mo in principal and interest.
Key numbers for Santa Maria, CA
Typical home value
$668,983
+4.0% in 12 months
Zillow, July 2026
Typical asking rent
$2,562/mo
Zillow Observed Rent Index
Zillow, July 2026
Median sale price
$623,750
+0.6% year over year
Redfin, through May 2026
Days on market
19
Fast-moving
Redfin, through May 2026
Active listings
66
1.9 months of supply
Redfin, through May 2026
30-yr fixed rate
6.66%
Freddie Mac weekly average
Freddie Mac via FRED, August 2026
Median household income
$84,617
Home costs 7.9x income
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Sale-to-list ratio
101.6%
Selling above asking
Redfin, through May 2026
Zillow figures are as of July 2026 and refresh monthly. Redfin figures are through May 2026 — Redfin stopped publishing its public market trackers in June 2026, so those numbers are final, not current. Mortgage rates come from Freddie Mac via FRED and update weekly.
Is Santa Maria a buyer's or seller's market?
Santa Maria, CA is a strong seller's market, based on 1.9 months of supply and homes selling in about 19 days. Under 2 months of supply is a severe shortage: expect competition on almost anything priced correctly, and little room to negotiate below asking.
Inputs are Redfin's final published period (May 2026). How we classify markets · Where the data comes from
What does the Santa Maria housing market data show?
Every row below is Redfin's final published month for Santa Maria, CA. Redfin, through May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $623,750 |
| Median list price | $649,000 |
| Year-over-year price change | +0.6% |
| Median price per sq ft | $392/sq ft |
| Median days on market | 19 days |
| Active inventory | 66 listings |
| Months of supply | 1.9 months |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 101.6% |
| Homes sold (that month) | 34 |
| New listings (that month) | 41 |
| Listings with a price cut | 45.5% |
| Market condition | Strong seller's market |
How to read these numbers
- Median sale price
- Half the homes that closed sold for more than this, half for less. It moves with what kind of home sold that month, so a quiet month with two big sales can swing it. Redfin's figure for Santa Maria is frozen at May 2026.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- Zillow's estimate of what a mid-market home in Santa Maria is worth right now, whether or not it sold. It is smoother than the median sale price and it still refreshes monthly, which is why this page leads with it.
- Months of supply
- How long it would take to sell every active listing at the current pace. Under 3 favors sellers, over 6 favors buyers, and 3 to 6 is the balanced band.
- Days on market
- Median time from listing to accepted offer. Short means you should have financing ready before you tour; long means there is room to negotiate on price and repairs.
- Sale-to-list ratio
- Sale price divided by the last asking price. Above 100% means bidding above asking is normal here; below 100% means the typical buyer got a discount.
- Price per square foot
- The size-adjusted price. Use it to compare a 1,400 sq ft house to a 2,600 sq ft house, not to value your own home — lot, condition and age move it a lot.
- Listings with a price cut
- Share of active listings that dropped their asking price in the month. A high share is the earliest visible sign that sellers are ahead of what buyers will pay.
- Typical asking rent (ZORI)
- Zillow's repeat-rent index for asking rents on new leases. Paired with the home value it gives the price-to-rent ratio in the rent-vs-buy section below.
How have Santa Maria home prices moved?
Over the last three years the median sale price in Santa Maria, CA rose 11.2%, from $561,000 to $623,750. The live Zillow value series has rose 4.0% in the last 12 months, which is the more current read now that Redfin's series has stopped. 45.5% of Santa Maria listings cut their asking price in the final Redfin month — a high share, and the clearest sign that list prices were running ahead of what buyers would pay. For prices to fall meaningfully from here, supply would have to keep building past 1.9 months while the sale-to-list ratio slips below its current 101.6%. Watch those two together — they move before the median does.
Redfin, through May 2026 — the chart ends at Redfin's final published month.
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What does it cost to buy a home in Santa Maria?
Priced off the typical home value of $668,983 at the current 6.66% 30-year fixed rate. These are principal and interest only — property taxes, homeowner's insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance are on top, and they vary enough by property that we will not guess them for you.
| Down payment | Cash at close | Loan amount | Monthly P&I |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | $133,797 | $535,187 | $3,439/mo |
| 5% | $33,449 | $635,534 | $4,084/mo |
Zillow, July 2026 for the price · Freddie Mac via FRED, August 2026 for the rate
What income do you need?
Lenders generally want housing costs under 28% of gross income. On the 20%-down payment of $3,439, that implies roughly $147,397 a year before you add taxes and insurance. The median household in Santa Maria earns $84,617, about $62,780 short of that threshold — the typical local household needs a larger down payment, a co-borrower, or a home below the typical home value to fit the 28% rule. That puts the price-to-income ratio at 7.9x — well above the 3x that was historically considered affordable, which is why down payment size drives who can buy here.
Run it with your own numbers: affordability calculator · mortgage calculator
Buying in Santa Maria in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Santa Maria market brief: the price ranges that actually clear, how long homes sit, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Santa Maria?
Typical asking rent in Santa Maria, CA is $2,562/mo, against a typical home value of $668,983. That is a price-to-rent ratio of 21.8x, which means renting tends to be the cheaper monthly option unless you stay long enough for appreciation to close the gap. Compared head to head, 20% down puts principal and interest at $3,439 a month — $877 more than renting before taxes and insurance, so the ownership case here rests on equity and appreciation rather than monthly cash flow.
Zillow, July 2026 for both value and rent
Add your own down payment, tax rate and time horizon in the rent vs. buy calculator.
Is inventory rising or falling in Santa Maria?
Active listings in Santa Maria, CA went from 56 in May 2025 to 66 in May 2026, a +17.9% change. Rising inventory is the single most useful leading indicator for buyers: more choice, longer marketing times, and more sellers willing to negotiate before price cuts show up in the median.
| Month | Active listings | New listings |
|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | 58 | 38 |
| July 2025 | 61 | 38 |
| August 2025 | 46 | 34 |
| September 2025 | 43 | 34 |
| October 2025 | 42 | 36 |
| November 2025 | 42 | 32 |
| December 2025 | 33 | 18 |
| January 2026 | 42 | 39 |
| February 2026 | 62 | 45 |
| March 2026 | 62 | 40 |
| April 2026 | 73 | 55 |
| May 2026 | 66 | 41 |
Redfin, through May 2026
How does Santa Maria compare to California and the U.S.?
Santa Maria homes sell for $623,750 — 30% below the California median of $887,400. Against the national median of $410,700, Santa Maria runs 52% higher. Year-over-year, Santa Maria moved +0.6% against California's +3.4% — a smaller swing than the state as a whole.
| Market | Median sale price | YoY | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria, CA | $623,750 | +0.6% | 19 days |
| California statewide | $887,400 | +3.4% | 33 days |
| United States | $410,700 | not published | not published |
City and state rows: Redfin, through May 2026 · U.S. row: Freddie Mac via FRED, April 2026 (MSPUS, quarterly)
What to do next in Santa Maria
What buyers should watch
- Months of supply, currently 1.9. It turns before price does — when it climbs past 6, sellers start taking offers they would have rejected a quarter earlier.
- The share of listings cutting price, currently 45.5%. A listing that has already cut once is the one most likely to accept below asking.
- The gap between 5% and 20% down here is $645 a month in principal and interest alone, before mortgage insurance. That gap, not the price, is usually what decides your timeline.
- Rate moves. At 6.66%, every full point of rate change moves the payment on a $668,983 home more than a 5% price change does.
- Your credit tier before you shop, not after — it sets the rate you are quoted. Run your numbers first.
What sellers should know
- The median Santa Maria listing goes under contract in 19 days. If yours passes that mark, the market is telling you the price is wrong — not that you need more showings.
- Homes here close at 101.6% of asking. Price at the number you want and let competition do the rest.
- In the last published month Santa Maria added 41 new listings against 34 sales — more competition arriving than clearing, so early timing matters.
- Your equity moved +4.0% in the last 12 months on the Zillow value series. That, not the price you paid, is what sets your net proceeds.
- Comparable ZIP-level pricing inside Santa Maria varies more than the citywide median suggests — check the ZIP pages below before you set a number.
Homes for sale in Santa Maria
There are currently 66 homes listed for sale in Santa Maria, California. The median listing price is $649K.
Active listings
66
Homes on market
Median list price
$649K
Avg. days on market
19
Days until sale
New this week
41
Newly listed
How much do homes cost in Santa Maria by property type?
How the Santa Maria, CA market breaks down across single-family homes, condos and townhouses. Redfin, through May 2026
| Property type | Median price | Price / sq ft | Homes sold | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $667,500 | $408/sq ft | 24 | 20 days |
| Condo / co-op | $410,000 | $381/sq ft | 10 | 13 days |
| Townhouse | $405,000 | $338/sq ft | 1 | 105 days |
Who lives in Santa Maria?
American Community Survey estimates for Santa Maria. U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Population
109,880
Households
29,092
Median income
$84,617/yr
Median age
29.3 years
Owner-occupied
51.2%
Median home value
$478,200
Median gross rent
$1,842/mo
Mean commute
22.2 min
51.2% of occupied homes in Santa Maria are owner-occupied, and the rest are rented — which is the share that decides how much of the local housing stock ever reaches the for-sale market. The Census self-reported median home value is $478,200 against Zillow's $668,983 typical value; the gap is normal — ACS asks owners what they think their home is worth, Zillow models transactions. Census median gross rent (all leases, including long-held ones) is $1,842/mo, below Zillow's $2,562/mo asking rent on new leases — the difference is roughly what a mover pays over a stayer.
Which public schools serve Santa Maria?
37 schools tracked · 30,895 students
The largest public schools serving Santa Maria, CA by enrollment, drawn from the National Center for Education Statistics. School quality is a commonly cited factor in home-buying decisions — these are the campuses families in this area are most likely to encounter.
Pioneer Valley High
Grades 9-12 · 3,112 students
Santa Maria High
Grades 9-12 · 3,110 students
Ernest Righetti High
Grades 9-12 · 2,424 students
Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary
Grades K-8 · 1,043 students
Kunst (Tommie) Junior High
Grades 7-8 · 1,028 students
Bruce (Robert) Elementary
Grades K-6 · 998 students
Fesler (Isaac) Junior High
Grades 7-8 · 958 students
Alvin Elementary
Grades K-6 · 939 students
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data directory. Updated annually. Ratings and test scores are not currently displayed.
Which cities are near Santa Maria, CA?
Ordered by distance from Santa Maria, not by size. Compare Santa Maria side by side with any of them.
Santa Maria housing market FAQ
Is Santa Maria a buyer's or seller's market?
Santa Maria, CA is currently a strong seller's market. That read comes from 1.9 months of supply, homes going under contract in about 19 days, and sellers getting 101.6% of their asking price in the last month Redfin published (May 2026).
How much do homes cost in Santa Maria?
The typical home in Santa Maria, CA is worth $668,983 (Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026). The median sale price in the last month Redfin published was $623,750, about $392 per square foot.
Is Santa Maria cheaper than the rest of California?
Santa Maria's median sale price of $623,750 is 30% lower than the California statewide median of $887,400, and 52% above the U.S. median of $410,700. Both figures are for the same period.
How long do homes take to sell in Santa Maria?
Homes in Santa Maria, CA spent a median of 19 days on market before going under contract, versus 33 days statewide. Under three weeks means well-priced listings move before most buyers can schedule a second showing. (Redfin, through May 2026.)
What income do you need to buy a home in Santa Maria?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 6.66%, 20% down on a $668,983 home is about $3,439 a month in principal and interest. Lenders typically want that under 28% of gross income, which works out to roughly $147,397 a year before taxes, insurance, HOA dues or mortgage insurance. The local median household income is $84,617.
Are home prices rising in Santa Maria?
The typical home value in Santa Maria, CA rose 4.0% over the last 12 months, from $643,150 to $668,983 (Zillow, July 2026). This is the live series — it refreshes monthly.
What are the cheapest ZIP codes in Santa Maria?
Santa Maria ZIP-level sale prices are not all published for the same period, so ranking them would compare different months. The ZIP pages listed on this page show what we hold for each one individually.
Is now a good time to buy in Santa Maria?
That depends on your timeline, not on a headline. What the data says today: Santa Maria, CA is a strong seller's market with 1.9 months of supply, the 30-year fixed rate is 6.66%, and the price-to-rent ratio of 21.8x means renting tends to be the cheaper monthly option unless you stay long enough for appreciation to close the gap. Properties Incorporated publishes the data; it does not give financial advice.
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