Which district in Santa Barbara (CA) is cheapest to stay in?
In Santa Barbara (CA), the cheapest district to stay in is Upper State, at a median asking price of $160 a night, and the priciest is Montecito at $650 (latest scan 25 October 2026). The ranking covers 5 districts, each priced by at least 5 places on the same 43 of the 71 nights from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027, read on 25 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 108 places checked, read 25 October 2026 20:36 UTC.
Updated
Districts ranked by median asking price
In Santa Barbara (CA), Montecito asks a median $650 a night, +307% against $160 in Upper State, the cheapest of 5 districts compared on the same 43 nights.
| District | Median a night | Middle half | Nights | Places | Guest score | 4–5★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper State | $160 | $137–$223 | 43 | 13 | 8.3 (13) | 8% of 13 |
| Waterfront | $259 | $194–$326 | 43 | 36 | 8.9 (34) | 39% of 36 |
| Downtown | $312 | $262–$571 | 43 | 33 | 9.1 (33) | 44% of 32 |
| Summerland | $500 | $402–$578 | 43 | 17 | 9.7 (12) | 65% of 17 |
| Montecito | $650 | $627–$1 858 | 43 | 6 | 9.8 (6) | 67% of 6 |
- A district is the area name Agoda gives a place (the first part of its address line), not an official boundary; names are printed as Agoda writes them, without a leading district number.
- A night counts for a district when at least 5 of its places showed a price.
- Every district is compared on the same 43 nights, the ones on which all of them counted: districts join in order of nights counted, and one that would leave fewer than 36 shared nights is left out rather than compared on other nights. A district's figure is the median of its nightly medians over those nights, and the middle half is the median of the nightly 25th and 75th percentiles.
- Places: every place in the district priced on those nights. Guest score: the median Agoda review score (out of 10) of those places, places scored in brackets. 4–5★: the share of the places with a star rating that hold 4 stars or more.
A dash means fewer than 5 of the district's places carry a score or a star rating. Many-star hotels cluster in a few districts, so a district's median also says which kind of places stand there.
Cheapest district with a guest score of 8 or more
The cheapest district in Santa Barbara (CA) whose places hold a median guest score of 8 or more is Upper State: a median $160 a night, score 8.3 across 13 scored places.
| District | Median a night | Guest score | Places scored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper State | $160 | 8.3 | 13 |
| Waterfront | $259 | 8.9 | 34 |
| Downtown | $312 | 9.1 | 33 |
| Summerland | $500 | 9.7 | 12 |
| Montecito | $650 | 9.8 | 6 |
Guest scores are Agoda's review scores out of 10; a score says nothing about the price.
Friday and Saturday against Monday to Thursday, by district
The biggest weekend difference in Santa Barbara (CA) is in Upper State: Friday and Saturday nights ask a median $220 against $148 Monday to Thursday (+48%), over 10 and 25 nights.
| District | Fri + Sat | Mon – Thu | Difference | Nights (Fri + Sat / Mon – Thu) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper State | $220 | $148 | +48% | 10 / 25 |
| Waterfront | $370 | $251 | +47% | 10 / 25 |
| Downtown | $420 | $307 | +37% | 10 / 25 |
| Summerland | $568 | $462 | +23% | 10 / 25 |
| Montecito | $775 | $634 | +22% | 10 / 25 |
The town page's weekend rule, district by district, over the ranking's 43 shared nights: Sunday nights sit in neither group, and a district needs at least 3 nights on each side.
What was measured
Nights measured in Santa Barbara (CA): 71, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price.
- Up to 108 places checked per night; a place with no price that night (sold out or closed) is counted but carries no price.
- Places with an Agoda area name: 111 of the 111 priced on these nights; only those are placed in a district.
- Prices in USD, as shown on the day each night was read, on 25 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
Source: asking prices for one night, read from public search results on the scan date; not prices paid, and not a forecast. How we measure →