HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in San Diego County, California (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in San Diego County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $3,001 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in San Diego keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$3,001
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,701 to $3,301
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$120,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
8th of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in San Diego moves to $2,823. That's down 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in San Diego are asking $3,235. HUD says $3,001.
That's 8% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 17 San Diego ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,288 | $2,059 to $2,517 | $91,520 | $44.00/hr | +6.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,459 | $2,213 to $2,705 | $98,360 | $47.29/hr | +5.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $3,001 | $2,701 to $3,301 | $120,040 | $57.71/hr | +4.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,998 | $3,598 to $4,398 | $159,920 | $76.88/hr | +3.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $4,845 | $4,361 to $5,330 | $193,800 | $93.17/hr | +3.3% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $5,572 | $5,015 to $6,129 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $6,299 | $5,669 to $6,929 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $7,025 | $6,323 to $7,728 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $7,752 | $6,977 to $8,527 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In San Diego, that runs from $2,288 for a studio up to $4,845 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
San Diego is its own HUD metro area (San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among California's 58 counties, San Diego ranks 8th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 78% above the state median of $1,687 and about 195% above the national median county at $1,018. About 3,289,701 people live here, 2nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,460 in 92004 (Borrego Springs) and $4,500 in 91914 (Chula Vista), with the 174 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91901 | Alpine | $2,830 | -5.7% |
| 91902 | Bonita | $3,140 | +4.6% |
| 91903 | Alpine | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91905 | Boulevard | $2,690 | -10.4% |
| 91906 | Campo | $2,210 | -26.4% |
| 91908 | Bonita | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91909 | Chula Vista | $3,001County rate | — |
| 91910 | Chula Vista | $2,780 | -7.4% |
| 91911 | Chula Vista | $2,820 | -6.0% |
| 91912 | Chula Vista | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91913 | Chula Vista | $4,100 | +36.6% |
| 91914 | Chula Vista | $4,500 | +50.0% |
| 91915 | Chula Vista | $4,170 | +39.0% |
| 91916 | Descanso | $3,130 | +4.3% |
| 91917 | Dulzura | $2,950 | -1.7% |
| 91921 | Chula Vista | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91931 | Guatay | $3,250 | +8.3% |
| 91932 | Imperial Beach | $2,790 | -7.0% |
| 91933 | Imperial Beach | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91934 | Jacumba | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91935 | Jamul | $2,950 | -1.7% |
| 91941 | La Mesa | $2,780 | -7.4% |
| 91942 | La Mesa | $3,010 | +0.3% |
| 91943 | La Mesa | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91944 | La Mesa | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91945 | Lemon Grove | $2,460 | -18.0% |
| 91946 | Lemon Grove | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91948 | Mount Laguna | $2,930 | -2.4% |
| 91950 | National City | $2,340 | -22.0% |
| 91951 | National City | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91962 | Pine Valley | $3,460 | +15.3% |
| 91963 | Potrero | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91976 | Spring Valley | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91977 | Spring Valley | $2,570 | -14.4% |
| 91978 | Spring Valley | $3,210 | +7.0% |
| 91979 | Spring Valley | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91980 | Tecate | $3,000 | -0.0% |
| 91987 | Tecate | $3,001County rate | — |
| 92003 | Bonsall | $2,910 | -3.0% |
| 92004 | Borrego Springs | $1,460 | -51.3% |
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in San Diego somewhere between $2,701 and $3,301. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$3,001 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $120,040 a year. Put another way, $58 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($2,701) | HAP at 100% ($3,001) | HAP at 110% ($3,301) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,951 | $2,251 | $2,551 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,501 | $1,801 | $2,101 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($2,881) to FY 2026 ($3,001). Since FY 2020 it's up 47% in total, about 6.7% a year. The California median moved up 9% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1,404 | $1,566 | $2,037 | $2,894 | $3,576 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,478 | $1,642 | $2,124 | $2,987 | $3,677 | +4.3% |
| FY 2022 | $1,573 | $1,739 | $2,232 | $3,099 | $3,795 | +5.1% |
| FY 2023 | $1,714 | $1,885 | $2,399 | $3,279 | $3,988 | +7.5% |
| FY 2024 | $2,062 | $2,248 | $2,833 | $3,819 | $4,638 | +18.1% |
| FY 2025 | $2,145 | $2,328 | $2,881 | $3,852 | $4,690 | +1.7% |
| FY 2026 | $2,288 | $2,459 | $3,001 | $3,998 | $4,845 | +4.2% |
| FY 2027 | $2,192 | $2,335 | $2,823 | $3,743 | $4,526 | -5.9% |
Nearby counties
Riverside County
$2,20164 mi · pop 2,429,487
Orange County
$3,23675 mi · pop 3,175,227
Imperial County
$1,36288 mi · pop 179,578
San Bernardino County
$2,201101 mi · pop 2,180,563
Los Angeles County
$2,601108 mi · pop 9,936,690
Ventura County
$2,693148 mi · pop 842,009
Kern County
$1,483195 mi · pop 906,883
Santa Barbara County
$3,124204 mi · pop 445,213
Questions people ask
$3,001 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $2,288 for a studio, $2,459 for one bedroom, $3,998 for three and $4,845 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in San Diego actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in San Diego for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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