Home Insurance in Santa Maria, California
The median home value in Santa Maria is $531,700, 33% lower than the Santa Barbara County median.
The typical home in Santa Maria was built around 1982. Aging wiring, roofing and plumbing in older homes can push up the cost to insure or rebuild them. About 18% of homes were built before 1960, about 5 points below Santa Barbara County's 22%.
The housing stock in Santa Maria is 66% single-family homes, 21% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 4% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
About 68% of owner-occupied homes in Santa Maria have a mortgage. Lenders require hazard (homeowners) insurance on any home carrying a mortgage.
Santa Maria has an owner-occupancy rate of 50% and a vacancy rate of 3%; unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form.
Most homes in Santa Maria - 71% - are primarily heated with natural gas.
What's the biggest home insurance risk near Santa Maria? FEMA's National Risk Index points to earthquake (Relatively High) in Santa Barbara County and Santa Barbara County had 3,738 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full Santa Barbara County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details. Earthquake damage is excluded from a standard homeowners policy.
In California, the statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy is $1,655 per year (NAIC, 2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $531,700 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Owner-occupied share | 50% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 68% |
| Top county hazard | Earthquake (Relatively High) |
| Active NFIP policies in Santa Barbara County | 3,738 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,655 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Nearby towns
Sources
Data last updated: 2026-09-29
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)