Rent affordability
How much rent can you afford in California?
At California's median household income of $100,149, the 30% rule leaves about $2,228 a month for rent after about $275 in utilities, internet, and renters insurance. 1-bedroom medians run from $1,095 in the Fresno metro to $2,965 in the San Jose metro. Each of the 51 city pages below adds its metro's rent and local utilities.
Max rent in California
$2,228/mo
30% of gross income is $2,503 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $275, which leaves $2,228 for rent.
Metro 1-bedroom medians here run from $1,095 to $2,965. Pick a city below to compare one with your max.
- Take-home
- $6,119/moAfter estimated federal tax, state tax, and FICA.
- Move-in cash
- $4,456First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
- Landlord screen
- $2,781/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.
Monthly budget
Where take-home pay of $6,119 goes at your max rent of $2,228. Each slice is its share of take-home.
- Rent36%$2,228
- Electric, gas, water3%$157
- Internet2%$104
- Renters insurance<1%$14
- Left over59%$3,616
Housing comes to $2,503 a month, 30% of gross income and 41% of take-home. That leaves $3,616 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.
Rent by metro in California
Cities in the same metro share its median rent, as of August 2026. Each city page compares that rent with your max and adds local utilities and Census figures for the city.
Los Angeles metro
$1,890 1-bed
San Francisco metro
$2,689 1-bed
Riverside metro
$1,426 1-bed
San Diego metro
$1,932 1-bed
Sacramento metro
$1,397 1-bed
San Jose metro
$2,965 1-bed
Fresno metro
$1,095 1-bed
Oxnard metro
$2,003 1-bed
Stockton metro
$1,152 1-bed
Modesto metro
$1,117 1-bed
Santa Rosa metro
$1,637 1-bed
Vallejo metro
$1,700 1-bed
Santa Maria metro
$1,735 1-bed
Napa metro
$1,710 1-bed
Household income in California
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates put median household income in California at $100,149. That was up 1.9% from $98,328 in 2023. The margin of error on the 2024 figure is $381. The estimate covers income of everyone age 15 or older in the household, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
Household utility bills in California
These are typical monthly bills for all household types in California, not an apartment quote. The rent calculator uses a smaller apartment estimate for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus the internet row. The all-household core of those housing bills is $453 a month.
| Bill | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Electricity | $160 |
| Natural gas | $58 |
| Water | $114 |
| Sewer | $57 |
| Trash | $64 |
| Internet | $104 |
Methodology and sources
Updated . Max rent is 30% of gross monthly income minus estimated utilities, internet, and renters insurance. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal brackets, California's 2025 single-filer income tax brackets, and FICA. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. City pages add Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See how California's metros compare in the rent affordability rankings. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.