Rents are 5% below what Alhambra's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,645 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
April. Asking rents in Alhambra usually run 0.8% below trend in April and 0.6% above it in October, about $37 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Alhambra is 0.6% below its high of $2,661 in January 2026, at $2,645 as of September 2026.
Rent in Alhambra changed +0.2% over the year to September 2026. Across the 336 California cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Alhambra rose 28.5% while median household income rose 43.4% ($61,384 to $88,024). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Alhambra is 32.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($88,024) is $2,201 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($1,910); a 2-bedroom is $2,410.
East Los Angeles, 4 miles away, rents for 20% less ($2,125/mo), about $6,200 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Alhambra. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Alhambra, CA is majority renter-occupied, 40.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Alhambra, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Alhambra, CA has climbed by $597 per month, settling near $2,645 after starting the period at $2,048. On the earnings side, the typical household in Alhambra, CA now reports about $88,024, up from $73,035 in 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 8.7 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 83,174 to 81,022 between 2021 and 2024, a 2.6% change. About 58.9% of households rent today, against 60.6% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 37.4% to 40.8%. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Alhambra, CA reflects that arc in its own way.
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Can you afford rent in Alhambra on your salary?
At $2,645/mo, how Alhambra rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Alhambra rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Alhambra. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Alhambra
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Alhambra is $2,645/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,700/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,410/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,910/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,065/mo.
At 36% of local median household income ($88,024/yr), Alhambra ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Alhambra?
At $2,645/mo, rent takes ~36% of Alhambra's median household income ($88,024/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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