Santa Maria, California Short-Term Rental Market
Santa Maria has no dedicated STR ordinance (zoning gray area); the Santa Barbara County market averaged $487/night in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Santa Maria, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Santa Barbara market area is 67%. average monthly revenue in the Santa Barbara market area is $8,396. average daily rate in the Santa Barbara market area is $487. the top operator in the Santa Barbara market area is Paradise Retreats with 109 listings. market score is 88/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Santa Barbara regional market, which includes Santa Maria. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Santa Maria.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Santa Maria has no dedicated short-term rental ordinance, which makes it notably more permissive than surrounding Santa Barbara County jurisdictions (the County itself, plus the City of Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Buellton and Carpinteria, all of which have STR-specific rules and 12% transient occupancy tax rates). An STR operator’s core obligations in Santa Maria are simply a city business license and Transient Occupancy Tax registration (10% rate). There is no code-defined STR permit, no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, and no cap on nights per year, but zoning does not explicitly list STR as a permitted residential use, so operating remains a gray area that could change.
Santa Maria anchors the Santa Maria Valley on California’s Central Coast, with a population of roughly 112,208, and draws primarily leisure travelers, wine-country tourists, and regional road-trippers, known for Santa Maria-style tri-tip barbecue and the Santa Maria Valley AVA, the first federally recognized wine appellation in Santa Barbara County.
StaySTRA tracks Santa Maria’s short-term rental performance at a shared regional level covering Santa Maria alongside Santa Barbara, so the figures below describe the Santa Barbara County area STR market rather than Santa Maria alone. Because Santa Barbara itself, a far higher-end coastal market, is part of this pool, treat the following as a regional figure likely well above what Santa Maria alone would show. Listing-type mix, bedroom mix and top property managers are also tracked at that shared regional level, so this profile omits those breakdowns rather than presenting regional totals as Santa Maria-specific.
In June 2026, the Santa Barbara County area STR market posted an average daily rate of $487 and occupancy of 66.6%, producing average monthly revenue of $8,396 per listing.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 49% |
| Feb | 59% |
| Mar | 61% |
| Apr | 61% |
| May | 59% |
| Jun | 66% |
| Jul | 71% |
| Aug | 67% |
| Sep | 60% |
| Oct | 58% |
| Nov | 56% |
| Dec | 54% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Santa Maria are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Santa Barbara market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Santa Barbara market as a whole, which includes Santa Maria, so these counts are not Santa Maria-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradise Retreats | 109 | 3,697 | ★ 4.84 |
| 2 | Ziprent | 91 | 4,717 | ★ 4.93 |
| 3 | Vacation Rentals of Santa Barbara | 81 | 1,850 | ★ 4.86 |
| 4 | WorldMark | 50 | 703 | ★ 4.92 |
| 5 | Casago | 48 | 2,335 | ★ 4.84 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Santa Maria?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Santa Maria are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 44.1% |
| vrbo | 6.3% |
| both | 49.6% |
Home Value Trends (Santa Maria)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Santa Maria are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Santa Maria — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Santa Maria has no dedicated short-term rental ordinance, which makes it notably more permissive than surrounding Santa Barbara County jurisdictions; the County itself, plus the City of Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Buellton and Carpinteria all have STR-specific rules and 12% Transient Occupancy Tax rates. In Santa Maria, an STR operator’s core obligations are: obtain a city business license, and register with the city to collect and remit the Transient Occupancy Tax of 10% on all stays of 30 consecutive days or fewer, reported monthly or quarterly.
There is no code-defined STR permit, no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, no cap on nights per year, and no STR-specific occupancy limit; practical guest limits come only from building and fire code occupant loads and life-safety provisions (smoke alarms, egress, sleeping-room minimums). Zoning does not explicitly list STR as a permitted residential use, so operating remains a gray area, investors should confirm current status with the City Planning Division before purchasing.
Failure to hold a business license or remit TOT can trigger code enforcement, back taxes, a 10% penalty, and 0.5% monthly interest. Because there is no numeric cap or owner-occupancy rule, Santa Maria is comparatively investor-friendly for whole-home STRs, but the lack of an explicit permitting framework is a policy risk that could change. Enforcement is rated minimal.
Market Comparison
The Santa Barbara County area STR market’s June 2026 occupancy of 66.6% ran well above the commonly cited US STR median of roughly 55%, and its $487 ADR ran far above the roughly $220 national median, a combination pointing to exceptionally strong demand and rate power, though these figures are almost certainly weighted heavily toward Santa Barbara’s own premium coastal market rather than reflecting Santa Maria specifically.
Top property manager data (which operators lead the market, their listing counts and reviews) is tracked at the shared Santa Barbara County regional level rather than uniquely for Santa Maria, so this profile omits operator rankings rather than presenting regional totals as Santa Maria-specific. Investors researching who manages properties in Santa Maria should review individual listing pages directly, keeping the Santa Barbara-weighted regional context in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions About Santa Maria, California
Does Santa Maria, CA require a short-term rental permit?
What was the average daily rate for STRs in the Santa Barbara County area in June 2026?
Are these performance numbers achievable for a Santa Maria property specifically?
How does Santa Maria's STR regulation compare to Santa Barbara's?
When is peak season for STRs in the Santa Barbara County area?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Santa Maria?
Analyze Santa Maria Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Santa Maria.
Free Santa Maria STR Calculator →
