SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — The saying, 'you get what you pay for,' doesn't apply when it comes to renting on the Central Coast.
According to the 2025 rent survey for the South Coast, the median cost for a one-bedroom apartment in the county is close to $3,000.
A two-bedroom apartment has increased to $3,850 per month, compared to $2,325 in 2016.
Your News Channel and Noozhawk joined forces to talk to Santa Barbara County tenants and see what their living conditions look like.
In the college town of Isla Vista, many students are desperate for good housing.
They often have to deal with issues like cramped spaces, mold, maintenance issues, and exorbitant rents.
“When I tell people that I live with 17 people and that I'm paying what I am paying to be in a quad is nuts,” said 4th year UC Santa Barbara student, Annika Hando.
Hando pays $1,600 a month to live in a loft, and that doesn’t even include utilities.
It comes with a washer and dryer, but the landlord charges by the load.
She lives in an oceanfront property on Del Playa Drive, which might be driving up the price. It is going for a whopping $25,000 a month. But the tenants we spoke with said there are several issues on the inside, including the occasional flooding, mold, and even mushrooms growing out of the toilet.
Residents in Isla Vista hope Santa Barbara County’s new one-year pilot rental property inspection program will lead to improvements.
Santa Barbara County’s Department of Planning and Development will conduct periodic inspections in all rental properties through the community of Isla Vista. The program went into effect on Friday, June 13th, and inspections are expected to begin in late July through September.
But even outside of Isla Vista the situation isn’t too glamorous.
Many school districts are losing good teachers because even workers with multiple degrees can’t afford life on the Central Coast.
“We love being out here but realistically it's not a sustainable place for a PHD student and elementary school teacher to afford to live. It's definitely something we've taken into consideration,” said Goleta resident Devon Cabelli.
Cabelli teaches in Lompoc, so a portion of her salary goes towards travel. She and her partner have struggled to find a listing without roommates or one that allows pets.
Right now, Cabelli and her partner pay a combined $3,000 a month for their apartment on the border of Goleta and Santa Barbara.
“It's an insane ask for what we're getting out of it. Our place has no storage, but it is also the most affordable place that we can find. There's no cheaper options,” said Cabelli.
The medium rent in Santa Barbara for a one bedroom apartment is close to $3,000, for a two bedroom apartment it jumps up to nearly $4,000. That's not including utilities.
“Everyone says it's very expensive, but I just feel like I'm kind of used to it, you know? Like, I'm just like, this is what it is,” said Serena Carbajal, who lives in Santa Barbara.
According to the 2025 rent survey for the South Coast, the annual income to afford the median monthly rent of $2,883 for a one-bedroom apartment is $115,300.
The hourly wage to afford that price is $55.43.
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