As rents continue to rise, Santa Barbara County residents are resorting to more extreme methods such as living three or more to a room, putting up with substandard conditions to find housing, and paying more for less.

The median cost for a one-bedroom apartment in the county has grown to almost $3,000, according to the 2025 Rental Housing Survey for the South Coast released by the city of Santa Barbara in late May.

The survey shows that the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment has risen steadily since 2016, when it was $1,695 per month.

It has gone up 67.6% since then — to $2,841 per month in 2025.

A two-bedroom apartment has increased to $3,850 per month compared to $2,325 in 2016 — about a 65% increase.

Devon Cabelli, an elementary school teacher, lives on the border of Goleta and Santa Barbara with her partner and their dog. The two pay $3,000 monthly for their apartment, which they split evenly.

“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,” Cabelli said. “We’ve looked into it.”

Cabelli teaches in Lompoc, so a portion of her salary goes toward commuting. Additionally, her partner, a PhD student, does not earn a lot of money right now.

They have considered applying for family student housing through UC Santa Barbara. However, there is a wait list that could take up to two years, and he could be finished with his degree by then.

The couple has also struggled to find a listing without roommates or one that allows pets.

The high cost of rent has forced the couple to put off plans such as getting engaged until graduation, or if they find something cheaper.

“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,” Cabelli said.

The state defines affordable housing as costing 30% (or less) of a household’s income.

According to the recent Rental Housing Survey, 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 would be $55.43.

Ian Weston, who has lived in Santa Barbara off and on for about 30 years, said the rent prices have gotten outrageous in recent years.

Weston said he would like to move, but everything is more expensive.

He’s moved out of Santa Barbara in the past, but always returns. He added that areas such as Goleta and Carpinteria, which were considered cheaper options in the past, have become less affordable.

Weston said that rental websites and apps also make things more difficult, and it is easier as a local to rely on his ties to the community.

“Word of mouth is always better, and you get more for renting,” Weston said.

Crowded, Expensive Conditions in Isla Vista

In other parts of the county, residents cram multiple people into one-bedroom apartments to afford monthly rents. Students in Isla Vista commonly live in apartments with three or more people to a room.

Residents of Isla Vista have complained for years about mold, exposed wiring, and dangerous balconies.

In May, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to launch a rental property inspection program and require landlords to make certain improvements.

UC Santa Barbara students Mariela Vargas and Cynthia Gonzales live in Isla Vista in a one-bedroom apartment with one other person. They pay $3,000 a month, which they split evenly.

Inside the room with band posters, photos, and art projects, the roommates have managed to fit three desks, two single beds, and a bunk bed.

The students say that their roommate used a website that calculates the size of the room and their furniture to figure out the best way to organize the space.

The pair said they signed the lease without seeing the apartment because they did not get student housing. By the time they found out they were not accepted, it was already March, when most students had already secured their place for the next year, and they were desperate.

“I feel like the landlord’s already know that kids are going to be desperate, like they’re just trying to find a place to live, and it doesn’t matter the price. They need a place to live,” Vargas said.

Along with the limited space, Vargas and Gonzales say they have to put up with unsanitary conditions including mold in their bathroom and bedroom. The women say the humidity is so bad that it has shown up on the clothes in their apartment.

Vargas said the situation, along with her job and being a full-time student, is stressful.

“It kind of sucks that I feel like I’m getting overworked, and I’m also going to school while trying to provide like a good space for myself to live in, which is not even that good,” she said.

The roommates tried to deal with the humidity in their apartment by buying a dehumidifier and hanging moisture-absorbing bags in their closet to prevent mold from growing on their clothes.

Despite their issues, both women say they could have it worse. They know some students who pay more than $1,000 to share a room between four or more people.

Not far from their apartment, one house on Del Playa Drive had 15 people paying a combined $25,000 a month for rent.

Isla Vista, which has a huge college student resident population, has some of the highest median rents in Santa Barbara County, according to that recent city report.

The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $8,000, and $10,625 for a three-bedroom unit. That’s about twice as much as any other local community.

Vargas and Gonzales have also heard stories from other students about mold in walls, cracked bathtubs, flooding, and more.

“I also had friends that have had mold in their bathroom, and it’s like a bonding experience at this point,” said Gonzales.

This reporting on Santa Barbara County housing prices and conditions was done in collaboration with KEYT. News Channel and Noozhawk reporters joined forces to talk to Santa Barbara County tenants about their rent and their living conditions.