NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Metro Market Score 61.3 (Difficult), ranked #282 of 330 metros. 843 establishments, 3,362 jobs.

Metro Market Score 61.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national real estate and rental and leasing average.

💰High-Cost Market

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara scores 61.3 on the Metro Market Score for real estate and rental and leasing, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

77.3

LQ: 1.00

Rank #255 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

76.7

$64,982 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 37.9

Employment growth index

Rank #206 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

21.0

YoY wage change index

843 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

843

Establishments

+1.1% YoY

3,362

Total Employment

-0.1% YoY

$64,982

Average Annual Wage

+6.5% YoY

1.00

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within California

#19 of 25

real estate and rental and leasing metros in state

California state rank

#39 of 51

for real estate and rental and leasing entry risk

vs State Median

+14.0

worse than median (47.3)

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara vs California Statewide

How this metro's real estate and rental and leasing market compares to California overall. The state ranks #39/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	CA Statewide
Overall Score	61.3 Difficult	47.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#282 of 330 metros	#39 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

Construction 39.1 Finance and Insurance 42.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 45.9 Retail Trade 51.6 Other Services 54.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 65.8 Administrative and Support Services 76.0 Information 78.0 Accommodation and Food Services 84.9

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other California Metros

El Centro 22.5 #33/330 Hanford-Corcoran 29.8 #67/330 Fresno 30.3 #72/330 Modesto 35.8 #104/330 Salinas 37.9 #116/330 Merced 38.3 #119/330 Yuba City 40.3 #143/330 Visalia 41.8 #157/330 Redding 43.3 #171/330 Santa Cruz-Watsonville 44.3 #178/330

+ 14 more metros. View all in California →

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Santa Maria-Santa Barbara's 61.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

St. Louis, MO 61.3 #281/330 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 61.4 #283/330 Worcester, MA 61.4 #284/330 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 61.5 #285/330 Corpus Christi, TX 61.5 #286/330 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 61.1 #280/330 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 61.9 #287/330 Boise City, ID 60.6 #279/330 Mobile, AL 60.5 #277/330 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC 60.5 #278/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in States Bordering California

State-level entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Oregon 44.8 #35/51 Arizona 52.4 #46/51 Nevada 61.9 #51/51

Browse Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for real estate and rental and leasing across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Santa Maria-Santa Barbara's real estate and rental and leasing sector, the industry concentration component (77.3) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment