Rent prices in California (FY2027)
The average FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in California is $2,632 a month including utilities — 49% above the U.S. average, ranging from $1,084 to $4,254 by area. Find your metro below and check what you can afford.
California average Fair Market Rent, FY2027 (rent + utilities)
$2,632/mo 2 bedrooms · ▼ 1.4% vs FY2026
Studio
U.S. $1,379 · 44% above U.S.
$1,986
1 bedroom
U.S. $1,478 · 46% above U.S.
$2,151
2 bedrooms
U.S. $1,761 · 49% above U.S.
$2,632
3 bedrooms
U.S. $2,266 · 53% above U.S.
$3,457
4 bedrooms
U.S. $2,607 · 53% above U.S.
$3,986
Ranks #1 of 51 (50 states + DC) for 2-bedroom rent. See all states
Metro areas in California
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
9.8M people · 1BR $2,402 · 3BR $3,760
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
4.7M people · 1BR $1,705 · 3BR $2,771
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
3.3M people · 1BR $2,335 · 3BR $3,743
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA
3.2M people · 1BR $2,610 · 3BR $4,153
Oakland-Fremont, CA
2.8M people · 1BR $2,290 · 3BR $3,592
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA
2.2M people · 1BR $1,793 · 3BR $2,887
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
1.9M people · 1BR $2,778 · 3BR $4,396
San Francisco, CA
1.8M people · 1BR $3,003 · 3BR $4,832
Fresno, CA
1.0M people · 1BR $1,363 · 3BR $2,333
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
915K people · 1BR $1,273 · 3BR $2,293
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
837K people · 1BR $2,035 · 3BR $3,287
Stockton-Lodi, CA
797K people · 1BR $1,628 · 3BR $2,790
Modesto, CA
554K people · 1BR $1,378 · 3BR $2,410
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
485K people · 1BR $2,155 · 3BR $3,903
Visalia, CA
479K people · 1BR $1,108 · 3BR $1,995
Vallejo, CA
452K people · 1BR $1,876 · 3BR $3,053
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
444K people · 1BR $2,711 · 3BR $3,990
Salinas, CA
438K people · 1BR $2,009 · 3BR $3,261
Merced, CA
290K people · 1BR $1,262 · 3BR $2,087
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
282K people · 1BR $2,079 · 3BR $3,634
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
265K people · 1BR $3,390 · 3BR $5,531
Yolo, CA
221K people · 1BR $1,670 · 3BR $2,956
Chico, CA
208K people · 1BR $1,190 · 3BR $2,090
Yuba City, CA
183K people · 1BR $1,367 · 3BR $2,216
Redding, CA
181K people · 1BR $1,209 · 3BR $2,189
El Centro, CA
180K people · 1BR $1,030 · 3BR $1,819
Madera County, CA
161K people · 1BR $1,272 · 3BR $2,022
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
153K people · 1BR $1,183 · 3BR $2,094
Napa, CA
135K people · 1BR $2,580 · 3BR $4,201
San Benito County, CA
67K people · 1BR $2,296 · 3BR $4,160
2-bedroom FMR; arrow = change vs FY2026. Sorted by population in California. Tap a metro for studio to 4 bedrooms and the income you need.
Rural counties (non-metro)
Alpine County, CA
Studio $1,063 · 1BR $1,167 · 3BR $2,113 · 4BR $2,522
Amador County, CA
Studio $1,373 · 1BR $1,381 · 3BR $2,219 · 4BR $2,568
Calaveras County, CA
Studio $1,109 · 1BR $1,172 · 3BR $2,123 · 4BR $2,224
Colusa County, CA
Studio $1,073 · 1BR $1,080 · 3BR $1,861 · 4BR $2,221
Del Norte County, CA
Studio $979 · 1BR $1,292 · 3BR $1,947 · 4BR $2,322
Glenn County, CA
Studio $948 · 1BR $1,040 · 3BR $1,867 · 4BR $2,251
Humboldt County, CA
Studio $1,122 · 1BR $1,188 · 3BR $2,152 · 4BR $2,597
Inyo County, CA
Studio $1,020 · 1BR $1,346 · 3BR $1,996 · 4BR $2,449
Lake County, CA
Studio $1,233 · 1BR $1,235 · 3BR $2,238 · 4BR $2,701
Lassen County, CA
Studio $884 · 1BR $1,046 · 3BR $1,728 · 4BR $2,086
Mariposa County, CA
Studio $1,035 · 1BR $1,147 · 3BR $2,058 · 4BR $2,196
Mendocino County, CA
Studio $1,209 · 1BR $1,287 · 3BR $2,330 · 4BR $2,610
Modoc County, CA
Studio $755 · 1BR $856 · 3BR $1,501 · 4BR $1,792
Mono County, CA
Studio $1,342 · 1BR $1,550 · 3BR $2,374 · 4BR $3,185
Nevada County, CA
Studio $1,313 · 1BR $1,441 · 3BR $2,610 · 4BR $3,151
Plumas County, CA
Studio $990 · 1BR $1,087 · 3BR $1,883 · 4BR $1,966
Sierra County, CA
Studio $1,063 · 1BR $1,167 · 3BR $2,113 · 4BR $2,522
Siskiyou County, CA
Studio $953 · 1BR $959 · 3BR $1,736 · 4BR $1,984
Tehama County, CA
Studio $948 · 1BR $1,040 · 3BR $1,885 · 4BR $2,275
Trinity County, CA
Studio $803 · 1BR $881 · 3BR $1,510 · 4BR $1,515
Tuolumne County, CA
Studio $1,116 · 1BR $1,271 · 3BR $2,082 · 4BR $2,679
Big number = 2-bedroom FMR. HUD sets a floor: no 2-bedroom FMR may be below the lower of the state’s or the national non-metro median ($1,014 for FY2027).
Rent affordability check
Income needed at the California average
Studio
$1,986/mo rent + utilities
$79,440/yr
$38.19/hr full-time
1 bedroom
$2,151/mo rent + utilities
$86,040/yr
$41.37/hr full-time
2 bedrooms
$2,632/mo rent + utilities
$105,280/yr
$50.62/hr full-time
3 bedrooms
$3,457/mo rent + utilities
$138,280/yr
$66.48/hr full-time
4 bedrooms
$3,986/mo rent + utilities
$159,440/yr
$76.65/hr full-time
Gross yearly income so that rent plus utilities is 30% of income; hourly = yearly ÷ 2,080 hours.
What a Fair Market Rent is (and is not)
A Fair Market Rent (FMR) is set every year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It is HUD’s estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent — rent plus utilities (except phone, cable and internet) — paid by recent movers into standard-quality, non-luxury rental homes in an area. In other words, about 40% of recently rented units in the area cost less than the FMR and about 60% cost more.
FMRs are not asking rents and not the price of any specific listing. They are built from Census Bureau American Community Survey rents and updated with inflation and trend factors, so they lag the newest listings and smooth out neighborhood differences. HUD uses them to set Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) payment standards and other program rents. Treat them as a solid, official benchmark for a typical modest rental — new listings in popular neighborhoods often cost more.
Questions & answers
What is the average rent in California?
Using HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents, the population-weighted average for a 2-bedroom in California is $2,632 a month including utilities — 49% above the U.S. average of $1,761. A 1-bedroom averages $2,151 and a studio $1,986.
Where is rent cheapest in California?
The lowest FY2027 2-bedroom FMR in California is $1,084 in Modoc County, CA; the highest is $4,254 in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA.
How much do I need to earn to rent in California?
At the 30% rule, a 2-bedroom at the state-average FMR of $2,632 needs $105,280 a year in gross income (about $50.62 an hour full-time). A 1-bedroom at $2,151 needs $86,040.
Did rent go up in California this year?
The population-weighted 2-bedroom FMR in California changed −1.4% from FY2026 to FY2027, compared with +1.5% for the U.S.
Is the Fair Market Rent what landlords charge?
Not exactly. It is HUD’s 40th-percentile estimate of rent plus utilities paid by recent movers into standard-quality units — a benchmark for a modest rental. Many listings, especially new or central ones, ask more.
Source: HUD User, FY2027 Fair Market Rents (effective October 1, 2026; Federal Register notice), compared with FY2026 revised FMRs. HUD data is in the public domain. State and U.S. averages are Tachlis calculations weighted by each county’s population as listed in HUD’s file. HUD may revise FMRs for areas that request a reevaluation.
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