California (CA)
STATESAFMRState Median Investment Score
71Below average
| BR | Rent | 3Y CAGR |
|---|---|---|
| 0 BR | $755 - $3,390▲Median: $1,956 | 4.6% |
| 1 BR | $856 - $3,790—Median: $2,079 | 3.6% |
| 2 BR | $1,084 - $4,480▼Median: $2,640 | 3.2% |
| 3 BR | $1,501 - $5,990▼Median: $3,450 | 3.3% |
| 4 BR | $1,515 - $6,780▼Median: $3,930 | 3.6% |
Market Alignment
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is below market; voucher rent may lag private rents.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is near market; voucher and private rents are aligned.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
FMR is above market; underwrite to market rent.
Bedroom curve
Counties
Ranked by Investment Score (vs state median)
County map
California fair market rent by county, FY 2027
HUD's FY 2027 fair market rents cover 58 counties in California. The median county two-bedroom FMR is $1,725. That is up 2.3% from $1,687 in FY 2026. Two-bedroom FMRs run from $1,084 in Modoc County to $4,254 in Santa Cruz County. 30 HUD metropolitan FMR areas cover 37 of those counties; each county in the same metro area shares one FMR. 909 ZIP codes in 5 metro areas must use Small Area FMRs, so voucher payment standards there are set by ZIP code.
Two-bedroom FMR by county
| County | 2BR | Change | HUD FMR area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County | $4,254 | +0.9% | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA |
| Marin County | $3,697 | +2.6% | San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| San Francisco County | $3,697 | +2.6% | San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| San Mateo County | $3,697 | +2.6% | San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Napa County | $3,375 | +21.7% | Napa, CA MSA |
| Santa Clara County | $3,272 | −6.1% | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Santa Barbara County | $3,106 | −0.6% | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA |
| Orange County | $3,057 | −5.5% | Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| San Benito County | $3,004 | +3.5% | San Benito County, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Los Angeles County | $2,964 | +14.0% | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| San Diego County | $2,823 | −5.9% | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA |
| Sonoma County | $2,819 | −0.3% | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA |
| Alameda County | $2,805 | −3.7% | Oakland-Fremont, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Contra Costa County | $2,805 | −3.7% | Oakland-Fremont, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| San Luis Obispo County | $2,720 | +8.3% | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA |
| Ventura County | $2,424 | −10.0% | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA |
| Monterey County | $2,416 | −10.0% | Salinas, CA MSA |
| Solano County | $2,342 | +7.5% | Vallejo, CA MSA |
| El Dorado County | $2,201 | −2.4% | Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Placer County | $2,201 | −2.4% | Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Sacramento County | $2,201 | −2.4% | Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Yolo County | $2,135 | +1.5% | Yolo, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Riverside County | $2,103 | −4.5% | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA |
| San Bernardino County | $2,103 | −4.5% | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA |
| San Joaquin County | $2,015 | +15.7% | Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA |
| Mono County | $1,927 | +15.0% | Non-metro |
| Nevada County | $1,885 | +4.0% | Non-metro |
| Stanislaus County | $1,803 | +2.6% | Modesto, CA MSA |
| Amador County | $1,765 | +3.9% | Non-metro |
| Fresno County | $1,685 | +1.3% | Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Mendocino County | $1,683 | −1.8% | Non-metro |
| Kern County | $1,656 | +11.7% | Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA |
| Lake County | $1,616 | +4.3% | Non-metro |
| Tuolumne County | $1,603 | +0.9% | Non-metro |
| Sutter County | $1,600 | +3.2% | Yuba City, CA MSA |
| Yuba County | $1,600 | +3.2% | Yuba City, CA MSA |
| Shasta County | $1,581 | −0.6% | Redding, CA MSA |
| Humboldt County | $1,554 | +0.3% | Non-metro |
| Calaveras County | $1,533 | −0.6% | Non-metro |
| Alpine County | $1,526 | −0.2% | Non-metro |
| Sierra County | $1,526 | −0.2% | Non-metro |
| Merced County | $1,517 | +0.9% | Merced, CA MSA |
| Kings County | $1,512 | +2.9% | Hanford-Corcoran, CA MSA |
| Butte County | $1,509 | −7.1% | Chico, CA MSA |
| Mariposa County | $1,486 | +2.2% | Non-metro |
| Inyo County | $1,465 | −3.2% | Non-metro |
| Madera County | $1,460 | +6.1% | Madera County, CA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Tulare County | $1,450 | −1.6% | Visalia, CA MSA |
| Plumas County | $1,422 | +0.8% | Non-metro |
| Del Norte County | $1,406 | +2.6% | Non-metro |
| Glenn County | $1,361 | −0.1% | Non-metro |
| Tehama County | $1,361 | −0.1% | Non-metro |
| Imperial County | $1,347 | −1.1% | El Centro, CA MSA |
| Colusa County | $1,344 | +2.9% | Non-metro |
| Siskiyou County | $1,254 | +0.4% | Non-metro |
| Lassen County | $1,248 | −2.4% | Non-metro |
| Trinity County | $1,153 | −4.1% | Non-metro |
| Modoc County | $1,084 | −2.2% | Non-metro |
HUD metro FMR areas
| Metro area | Counties | 2BR |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA | 1 | $4,254 |
| San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 3 | $3,697 |
| Napa, CA MSA | 1 | $3,375 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 1 | $3,272 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA | 1 | $3,106 |
| Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 1 | $3,057 |
| San Benito County, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 1 | $3,004 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 1 | $2,964 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA | 1 | $2,823 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA | 1 | $2,819 |
| Oakland-Fremont, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 2 | $2,805 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA | 1 | $2,720 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA | 1 | $2,424 |
| Salinas, CA MSA | 1 | $2,416 |
| Vallejo, CA MSA | 1 | $2,342 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 3 | $2,201 |
| Yolo, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 1 | $2,135 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA | 2 | $2,103 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA | 1 | $2,015 |
| Modesto, CA MSA | 1 | $1,803 |
| Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 1 | $1,685 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA | 1 | $1,656 |
| Yuba City, CA MSA | 2 | $1,600 |
| Redding, CA MSA | 1 | $1,581 |
| Merced, CA MSA | 1 | $1,517 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA MSA | 1 | $1,512 |
| Chico, CA MSA | 1 | $1,509 |
| Madera County, CA HUD Metro FMR Area | 1 | $1,460 |
| Visalia, CA MSA | 1 | $1,450 |
| El Centro, CA MSA | 1 | $1,347 |
Questions about California rents
What is the fair market rent in California?
HUD sets fair market rents by metro area and county, not statewide. For FY 2027 the median county two-bedroom FMR in California is $1,725. Look up the county or ZIP code to see the value that applies to a specific property.
Which California counties have the highest fair market rent?
For FY 2027, the highest two-bedroom FMRs are in Santa Cruz County ($4,254), Marin County ($3,697), San Francisco County ($3,697).
Does California use Small Area Fair Market Rents?
Yes, in part. HUD requires Small Area FMRs in 909 ZIP codes across 5 metro areas, led by the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area; San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA; Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Elsewhere, housing authorities use the metro or county FMR unless they choose to adopt Small Area FMRs.
Source: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Change compares each county's two-bedroom FMR with FY 2026.
Data source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Fiscal Year 2027