2025 Compare Cities Housing:
Santa Barbara, CA vs Lake Forest, CA

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Highlights
- The median age of a home in Santa Barbara is 34.5% older than the median age of a home in Lake Forest.
 Santa Barbara, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 Median Home Age58  Unlock42
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$937,500$338,100
 Home Appr. Last 12 months0.5%  Unlock16.6%
 Home Appr. Last 5 yrs.  Unlock48.3%57.0%
 Home Appr. Last 10 yrs.61.3%  Unlock101.1%
 Property Tax Rate  Unlock$6.8$11.0
 Homes Owned38.6%  Unlock57.4%
 Housing Vacant  Unlock5.0%11.2%
 Homes Rented55.5%  Unlock31.4%
 space
 Avg Rent For Home Or Apartment
 Santa Barbara, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 Average Rent  Unlock$3,820$1,840
 Studio Apartment$2,510  Unlock$1,080
 1 Bedroom Home or Apartment  Unlock$2,370$1,180
 2 Bedroom Home or Apartment$3,280  Unlock$1,430
 3 Bedroom Home or Apartment  Unlock$3,870$1,860
 4 Bedroom Home or Apartment$4,930  Unlock$2,160
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 Vacant Housing
 Santa Barbara, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 Vacant For Rent  Unlock1.1%1.9%
 Vacant Rented0.5%  Unlock0.4%
 Vacant For Sale  Unlock0.5%0.7%
 Vacant Sold0.5%  Unlock0.4%
 Vacant Vacation  Unlock1.0%3.6%
 Vacant Other1.2%  Unlock4.1%
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 Owner-Occupied Housing Value
 Santa Barbara, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 Less Than $20,000  Unlock0.7%2.6%
 $20,000 to $39,9990.2%  Unlock2.4%
 $40,000 to $59,999  Unlock0.4%2.8%
 $60,000 to $79,9990.6%  Unlock3.9%
 $80,000 to $99,999  Unlock1.1%4.5%
 $100,000 to $149,9990.5%  Unlock11.3%
 $150,000 to $199,999  Unlock0.5%13.0%
 $200,000 to $299,9991.5%  Unlock20.1%
 $300,000 to $399,999  Unlock7.5%13.6%
 $400,000 to $499,9992.1%  Unlock8.3%
 $500,000 to $749,999  Unlock29.6%9.7%
 $750,000 to $999,99920.9%  Unlock3.9%
 $1,000,000 to $1,499,999  Unlock7.2%2.2%
 $1,500,000 to $1,999,99915.0%  Unlock0.8%
 $2,000,000 and over  Unlock1.1%1.1%
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 Housing Units By Year Built
 Santa Barbara, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 2015 and Newer0.0%  Unlock0.2%
 2010 to 2014  Unlock1.8%13.6%
 2000 to 20094.1%  Unlock13.6%
 1990 to 1999  Unlock18.1%13.6%
 1980 to 198911.3%  Unlock13.2%
 1970 to 1979  Unlock31.1%14.8%
 1960 to 19696.6%  Unlock13.6%
 1950 to 1959  Unlock0.8%10.0%
 1940 to 19496.6%  Unlock4.7%
 1939 or Earlier  Unlock0.3%12.2%
Reviews for Santa Barbara    51 Reviews

I moved to Santa Barbara around 23 years ago to study at Brooks, which like most of the Santa Barbara that I knew—has been destroyed. Homelessness, drugs, gangs, high  More

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Over 4 years ago

I fell in love with Santa Barbara about thirty years ago and finally moved here a few years ago. Because of the price of homes, it is an expensive place to live. The  More

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If you like high crime, paying a $4,500 a month mortgage and crazy high taxes, this is the place for you. It’s too bad because it wasn’t always like this. When I moved  More

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Reviews for Lake Forest    16 Reviews

I've lived in Lake Forest for over a decade, before that elsewhere in OC and also up in LA. Lake Forest isn't perfect but it's really improved over the past decade,  More

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As a retired senior who has lived in Lake Forest (formerly El Toro) since 1977 I think LF is a great place if you can afford it. When we moved here in June '77 homes  More

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I’ve lived here for 2 years. Ok, it’s more like a 4 but there are so many idiots downplaying what it’s like here and giving Lake Forest ones and twos. There are a lot of  More

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