Most affordable counties to rent in California
Ranked by how much of the typical renter household's income the typical rent takes. Inyo County is the most affordable at 22.0%; Del Norte County the least affordable at 40.6%.
| County | Rent-to-income | Median gross rent | Median renter income | Renters paying 30%+ | 2 BR FMR FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Inyo County | 22.0% | $1,189 | $64,907 | 36% | $1,465 |
| 2. San Francisco County | 26.4% | $2,476 | $112,757 | 40% | $3,697 |
| 3. Lassen County | 27.4% | $1,000 | $43,832 | 43% | $1,248 |
| 4. Plumas County | 27.9% | $1,194 | $51,411 | 45% | $1,422 |
| 5. Santa Clara County | 27.9% | $2,857 | $122,974 | 45% | $3,272 |
| 6. Amador County | 28.1% | $1,421 | $60,784 | 46% | $1,765 |
| 7. Yuba County | 28.5% | $1,311 | $55,292 | 54% | $1,600 |
| 8. San Mateo County | 29.4% | $2,922 | $119,424 | 48% | $3,697 |
| 9. Mono County | 29.5% | $1,629 | $66,328 | 49% | $1,927 |
| 10. Kings County | 29.8% | $1,331 | $53,568 | 49% | $1,512 |
| 11. San Benito County | 29.9% | $1,992 | $79,940 | 48% | $3,004 |
| 12. Tulare County | 30.2% | $1,280 | $50,925 | 51% | $1,450 |
| 13. Sutter County | 30.8% | $1,439 | $56,129 | 53% | $1,600 |
| 14. Glenn County | 31.1% | $1,120 | $43,274 | 51% | $1,361 |
| 15. El Dorado County | 31.3% | $1,715 | $65,664 | 54% | $2,201 |
| 16. Shasta County | 31.8% | $1,317 | $49,763 | 53% | $1,581 |
| 17. Merced County | 32.1% | $1,343 | $50,208 | 52% | $1,517 |
| 18. Mendocino County | 32.3% | $1,317 | $48,929 | 55% | $1,683 |
| 19. Alameda County | 32.4% | $2,357 | $87,302 | 50% | $2,805 |
| 20. Imperial County | 32.5% | $1,056 | $38,992 | 53% | $1,347 |
| 21. San Joaquin County | 32.6% | $1,734 | $63,916 | 54% | $2,015 |
| 22. Napa County | 32.8% | $2,237 | $81,786 | 55% | $3,375 |
| 23. Stanislaus County | 32.8% | $1,623 | $59,312 | 54% | $1,803 |
| 24. Fresno County | 33.6% | $1,392 | $49,705 | 56% | $1,685 |
| 25. Sonoma County | 33.6% | $2,158 | $77,033 | 55% | $2,819 |
| 26. Monterey County | 33.6% | $2,055 | $73,346 | 56% | $2,416 |
| 27. Santa Cruz County | 33.8% | $2,264 | $80,482 | 52% | $4,254 |
| 28. Tuolumne County | 33.8% | $1,302 | $46,223 | 59% | $1,603 |
| 29. Kern County | 33.8% | $1,300 | $46,101 | 56% | $1,656 |
| 30. Orange County | 33.9% | $2,434 | $86,153 | 57% | $3,057 |
| 31. Mariposa County | 33.9% | $1,305 | $46,149 | 49% | $1,486 |
| 32. Sacramento County | 34.0% | $1,790 | $63,224 | 56% | $2,201 |
| 33. San Diego County | 34.5% | $2,246 | $78,016 | 58% | $2,823 |
| 34. Calaveras County | 34.8% | $1,625 | $56,058 | 59% | $1,533 |
| 35. Madera County | 35.0% | $1,390 | $47,645 | 57% | $1,460 |
| 36. Contra Costa County | 35.0% | $2,375 | $81,336 | 56% | $2,805 |
| 37. Los Angeles County | 35.2% | $1,954 | $66,677 | 58% | $2,964 |
| 38. Placer County | 35.3% | $2,069 | $70,278 | 58% | $2,201 |
| 39. San Bernardino County | 35.4% | $1,801 | $61,041 | 59% | $2,103 |
| 40. Nevada County | 35.8% | $1,677 | $56,184 | 57% | $1,885 |
| 41. Riverside County | 35.9% | $1,901 | $63,524 | 59% | $2,103 |
| 42. Tehama County | 36.0% | $1,184 | $39,500 | 56% | $1,361 |
| 43. Santa Barbara County | 36.2% | $2,131 | $70,675 | 58% | $3,106 |
| 44. Ventura County | 36.2% | $2,317 | $76,792 | 59% | $2,424 |
| 45. San Luis Obispo County | 36.3% | $1,992 | $65,806 | 58% | $2,720 |
| 46. Marin County | 36.7% | $2,668 | $87,278 | 56% | $3,697 |
| 47. Siskiyou County | 37.0% | $1,091 | $35,382 | 58% | $1,254 |
| 48. Solano County | 37.0% | $2,163 | $70,145 | 60% | $2,342 |
| 49. Humboldt County | 37.1% | $1,287 | $41,604 | 60% | $1,554 |
| 50. Lake County | 39.1% | $1,368 | $42,027 | 62% | $1,616 |
| 51. Butte County | 39.3% | $1,414 | $43,174 | 60% | $1,509 |
| 52. Yolo County | 39.5% | $1,857 | $56,353 | 59% | $2,135 |
| 53. Del Norte County | 40.6% | $1,233 | $36,415 | 58% | $1,406 |
Rent-to-income = median gross rent × 12 ÷ median household income of renters. Both are medians of different households, so this is an area comparison, not the burden of any one household. 5 of 58 counties are left out because they have fewer than 500 renter households, a Census margin of error is too large (coefficient of variation above 15%) or a figure is not published.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2020–2024 and 2015–2019 (tables B25064, B25119, B25070). ± = margin of error at 90% confidence. Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation. FMR: HUD FY2027.
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