California Fair Market Rents 2026

HUD publishes a Fair Market Rent for each of the 58 counties in California. It is the rent estimate your housing authority starts from when it decides how much a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher will cover. The statewide median two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,687 per month, ranging from $1,108 in Modoc County to $4,214 in Santa Cruz County.

What it takes to afford a two-bedroom in California

Housing wage
$49.61/hr
Annual income needed
$103,189
Hours at minimum wage
121/wk

To rent a modest two-bedroom in California without spending more than 30% of income on housing, a household needs to earn $49.61 per hour full time. At the state minimum wage of $16.50, that means working 121 hours a week. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2025.

Advertisement

FY2026 Fair Market Rents by County

County Studio 1 BR 2 BR 3 BR 4 BR
Alameda County $2,142 $2,385 $2,912 $3,724 $4,413
Alpine County $1,068 $1,165 $1,529 $2,126 $2,527
Amador County $1,387 $1,396 $1,698 $2,220 $2,714
Butte County $1,155 $1,270 $1,625 $2,260 $2,726
Calaveras County $1,078 $1,175 $1,542 $2,145 $2,316
Colusa County $989 $995 $1,306 $1,723 $1,729
Contra Costa County $2,142 $2,385 $2,912 $3,724 $4,413
Del Norte County $957 $1,222 $1,370 $1,905 $2,277
El Dorado County $1,748 $1,832 $2,255 $3,002 $3,460
Fresno County $1,347 $1,355 $1,664 $2,314 $2,660
Glenn County $939 $1,038 $1,362 $1,807 $2,179
Humboldt County $1,112 $1,186 $1,550 $2,156 $2,600
Imperial County $939 $1,038 $1,362 $1,845 $2,285
Inyo County $1,058 $1,381 $1,514 $1,940 $2,540
Kern County $1,132 $1,140 $1,483 $2,062 $2,488
Kings County $1,150 $1,157 $1,469 $2,043 $2,451
Lake County $1,173 $1,181 $1,549 $2,154 $2,599
Lassen County $882 $1,016 $1,279 $1,779 $2,146
Los Angeles County $2,079 $2,328 $2,903 $3,681 $4,098
Madera County $1,055 $1,062 $1,376 $1,914 $2,275
Marin County $2,485 $2,977 $3,604 $4,604 $4,772
Mariposa County $1,016 $1,148 $1,454 $2,022 $2,439
Mendocino County $1,269 $1,306 $1,713 $2,382 $2,789
Merced County $1,116 $1,213 $1,503 $2,067 $2,503
Modoc County $774 $883 $1,108 $1,434 $1,831
Mono County $1,171 $1,528 $1,675 $2,330 $2,769
Monterey County $2,173 $2,232 $2,684 $3,623 $3,945
Napa County $2,286 $2,526 $3,315 $4,222 $4,942
Nevada County $1,373 $1,382 $1,813 $2,521 $3,041
Orange County $2,682 $2,746 $3,236 $4,393 $5,246
Placer County $1,748 $1,832 $2,255 $3,002 $3,460
Plumas County $973 $1,075 $1,411 $1,962 $1,995
Riverside County $1,692 $1,777 $2,201 $2,912 $3,514
Sacramento County $1,748 $1,832 $2,255 $3,002 $3,460
San Benito County $2,205 $2,212 $2,902 $3,944 $4,190
San Bernardino County $1,692 $1,777 $2,201 $2,912 $3,514
San Diego County $2,288 $2,459 $3,001 $3,998 $4,845
San Francisco County $2,485 $2,977 $3,604 $4,604 $4,772
San Joaquin County $1,288 $1,395 $1,742 $2,423 $2,922
San Luis Obispo County $1,842 $2,036 $2,671 $3,584 $4,105
San Mateo County $2,485 $2,977 $3,604 $4,604 $4,772
Santa Barbara County $2,459 $2,746 $3,124 $4,075 $4,647
Santa Clara County $2,621 $2,982 $3,483 $4,602 $5,010
Santa Cruz County $3,179 $3,298 $4,214 $5,377 $5,659
Shasta County $1,172 $1,212 $1,590 $2,211 $2,667
Sierra County $1,068 $1,165 $1,529 $2,126 $2,527
Siskiyou County $962 $969 $1,249 $1,737 $1,915
Solano County $1,567 $1,705 $2,178 $2,911 $3,297
Sonoma County $1,949 $2,155 $2,827 $3,887 $4,147
Stanislaus County $1,255 $1,356 $1,758 $2,442 $2,823
Sutter County $1,166 $1,272 $1,550 $2,156 $2,600
Tehama County $952 $1,038 $1,362 $1,865 $2,285
Trinity County $829 $916 $1,202 $1,636 $1,655
Tulare County $1,116 $1,123 $1,474 $2,028 $2,393
Tuolumne County $1,096 $1,257 $1,589 $2,078 $2,666
Ventura County $1,998 $2,250 $2,693 $3,652 $4,240
Yolo County $1,604 $1,615 $2,104 $2,917 $3,178
Yuba County $1,166 $1,272 $1,550 $2,156 $2,600

Find a housing authority in California

Fair Market Rent sets the ceiling, but the housing authority issuing your voucher sets the payment standard and runs the waiting list. Start there.

California Housing Authorities California Waiting Lists

For FY2026, Santa Cruz County has the highest two-bedroom Fair Market Rent in California at $4,214 per month, while Modoc County has the lowest at $1,108. The statewide median two-bedroom FMR is $1,687.

No. Each housing authority in California sets its own payment standard, anywhere from 90% to 110% of the HUD Fair Market Rent for its area, and some receive HUD approval to go higher. Two authorities serving the same county can pay different amounts, so confirm the figure with the authority that will issue your voucher.

Find your county in the table below to see the FY2026 rent HUD estimates for each bedroom size. That figure is the starting point your housing authority uses to set its payment standard, which caps the subsidy on your unit. You generally pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income, with the voucher covering the rest up to that cap.

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026 · huduser.gov

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of race, color, national origin, religion, familial status, gender, and disability. The Fair Housing Act ensures that all persons receive equal housing opportunity. For more information about the Fair Housing Act and your rights, visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development .