93103 Property Tax Rate
Santa Barbara, California · Part of Santa Barbara County
Effective Tax Rate
0.42%
33.7% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$6,551
$546/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$6,551
Monthly
$546
Eff. Rate
0.42%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 93103 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$546/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.27 percentage points below the California average
California average: 0.69%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $837, about 13% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Santa Barbara County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 93103 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Strong ACS confidence
$837 tax MOE, 13% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County advisory available
Santa Barbara County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 93103
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $1,555,600, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.42%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on California and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $546 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Santa Barbara County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 93103 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 93103
0.42%
Effective rate
California Avg
0.69%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in California
Lower than 98% of ZIP codes in California(2th percentile, 1,562 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 93103
Property owners in ZIP code 93103 (Santa Barbara, California) pay a median of $6,551/year in property taxes on homes valued at $1,555,600. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.42%, which is 39% below the California state average of 0.69%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 93103 is approximately $546, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Santa Barbara County. This is $1,651 more than the California average of $4,900/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in California, 93103 has lower property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 90743 (0.42%) and 95345 (0.43%).
In Santa Barbara, property taxes represent approximately 5.5% of the median household income of $118,118, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
Proposition 13 resets your Santa Barbara County property tax base to purchase price at closing and limits annual increases to 2%, making the purchase price the determining factor for decades of tax liability. Santa Barbara County offers a $7,000 Homeowners' Exemption — file with the Santa Barbara County Assessor within 30 days of closing. Submit your exemption application to the Santa Barbara County Assessor and request written proof of your base year value and exemption status.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 93103?
How much are property taxes in Santa Barbara, CA (93103)?
How does ZIP 93103 compare to the California average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 93103?
What county is ZIP code 93103 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$837. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 93103 is part of Santa Barbara County, California. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Santa Barbara County on TaxByCounty →Explore Santa Barbara, CA
View all 7 ZIP codes in Santa Barbara with property tax comparisons.
View Santa Barbara Property Tax Rates →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 93103
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
93109
Santa Barbara, CA
0.02 percentage points lower than ZIP 93103.
Rate
0.40%
Tax
$7,370
Quality
96
90049
Los Angeles, CA
$444,401 higher median home value than ZIP 93103.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
82
90077
Los Angeles, CA
$444,401 higher median home value than ZIP 93103.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
82
90210
Beverly Hills, CA
$444,401 higher median home value than ZIP 93103.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
77
90211
Beverly Hills, CA
$444,401 higher median home value than ZIP 93103.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
77
90212
Beverly Hills, CA
$444,401 higher median home value than ZIP 93103.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
77
90254
Hermosa Beach, CA
$444,401 higher median home value than ZIP 93103.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
68
90265
Malibu, CA
$444,401 higher median home value than ZIP 93103.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
68
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.