Meet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Famous Neighbors in Montecito, California

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Los Angeles has long been the It place for celebrities to settle, but in recent years, more stars have been flocking to Montecito, California—including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Located 80 miles northwest of L.A. in Santa Barbara County, the upscale enclave has become a safe haven for the rich and famous, and it’s not hard to see why.

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the shocking decision to exit the royal family last year, they moved first to Canada and then to the United States, where they desperately sought out a more under-the-radar life. After briefly living in Tyler Perry’s Beverly Hills mansion, the couple opted for a sprawling 7.4-acre estate, which they bought for $14.7 million in the exclusive coastal town last summer.

Prior to their move, Montecito had already been home to many celebrities, including longtime residents Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Rob Lowe. But since Harry and Meghan came to town, other stars have been following suit and snagging properties there as well. Keep scrolling to see who else lives in Harry and Meghan’s new neighborhood.

Oprah Winfrey

The media mogul has called Montecito home since she purchased her so-called Promised Land ranch in 2001 for a reported $50 million. Originally, the estate—which includes a 23,000-square-foot palatial neo-Georgian main house, a massive guesthouse, various other accessory buildings, and beautifully landscaped property—sprawled across more than 42 acres of land, but in recent years, she has expanded the compound with neighboring properties.

The home Winfrey purchased from Jeff Bridges.

In 2015, the TV host shelled out $29 million for the adjacent 23.3-acre Seamair Farm. Four years later, Winfrey bought an additional $6.85 million ranch from actor Jeff Bridges. Altogether, Promised Land is now almost a whopping 70 acres.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi

DeGeneres and de Rossi have become known for their impressive real estate portfolio—specifically in Montecito. Since 2007, the couple has owned several houses in the area, many of which they’ve sold for profit.

The Ellen host and Arrested Development actress currently have three Montecito properties as part of their ever-growing collection. These are a $49 million Tom Kundig–designed house they purchased last year, the historic Rancho San Leandro in Montecito (which they bought for the second time in May for $7.2 million after selling it 2018), and a $2.9 million bungalow they picked up in June.

Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe's Montecito home.
Rob Lowe's Montecito home.
Photo: Mary E. Nichols

Of all the area’s notable residents, Lowe has been living in the celebrity-favored town the longest—26 years, to be exact. Over the years, the actor and his wife, Sheryl Berkoff, have invested in multiple properties in Montecito, including a custom-built Georgian-style estate that Architectural Digest got to tour in 2010. They ended up selling the place for $44.5 million in 2019 after 14 years.

That same year, the pair picked up two other properties: a $5.2 million fixer-upper and a $13 million Mediterranean-style mansion.

Ariana Grande

One of two living rooms in the home Grande recently purchased from DeGeneres.
One of two living rooms in the home Grande recently purchased from DeGeneres.
Photo: David Palermo

One of the many said Montecito houses DeGeneres put on the market was a newly renovated English Tudor–style property, which the “Positions” singer snapped up for $6.75 million in 2020.

In May, days after she and real estate agent Dalton Gomez tied the knot, Grande shared a series of photos of the intimate wedding ceremony, which appeared to have taken place at the picturesque home.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Years after saying “I do” to then-husband Chris Martin at a luxurious resort in Montecito, the actress bought a large estate in the area for $4.9 million in 2016. Since then, she and her current husband, Brad Falchuk, have reportedly been overhauling the mansion.

Meg Ryan

In 2020, the rom-com icon seemingly traded the hustle and bustle of New York City—where she had been primarily based for years—for a quieter life on the West Coast. She dropped slightly more than $5 million on a 4,268-square-foot abode in Montecito.

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom

In addition to Harry and Meghan, the pop star and English actor are among the newest property owners to put down roots in the expensive seaside town. Shortly after their daughter Daisy Dove’s birth in August 2020, Perry (a Santa Barbara native!) and Bloom moved into an 8.9-acre mansion that they purchased for $14.2 million.

Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo

Also joining the famous crowd are the Maroon 5 frontman and his Victoria’s Secret model wife, Behati Prinsloo, who closed on the historic sprawling El Miraval estate for $22.7 million in early 2021.

Scooter Braun

When in need of an escape from Los Angeles, the mega talent manager and his wife, Yael Cohen, enjoy spending time at their Montecito retreat, which Architectural Digest toured in 2018. Recalled Braun, “As soon as we pulled into the driveway, between all those trees, we kind of instantly knew that we were going to buy it.”

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest