Cost of living in Goleta, California
Simple answer
Typical rent is $2,437 a month.
Goleta is a city in California. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $122,370 a year.
- People
- 32,685
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $2,437
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $122,370
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $1,062,100
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $3,106
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA
Goleta, California has about 32,685 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $1,062,100.
HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Santa Barbara County is $3,106 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Goleta. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.
In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, prices sit at 108.8 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.
California taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 9.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Goleta's exact store tax.
In July 2026, a typical California home paid 33.61¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Goleta's bill.
In 2025, all-grades gas in California averaged $4.53 a gallon. EIA prints this yearly price for only some states.
Among 982 places we list in California with a rent figure, 219 have higher typical rent than Goleta.
Nearby places
- University of California-Santa Barbara
Typical rent $1,526
Compare with Goleta - Isla Vista
Typical rent $1,878
Compare with Goleta - Eastern Goleta Valley
Typical rent $2,964
Compare with Goleta - Mission Canyon
Typical rent $3,501
Compare with Goleta - Santa Barbara
Typical rent $2,413
Compare with Goleta - Montecito
Typical rent $3,501
Compare with Goleta - Summerland
- Toro Canyon
Typical rent $2,179
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in California
Bigger places in California
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.