Rents are 2% below what Alpine'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 $2,274 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
Rent in Alpine is 1.1% below its high of $2,300 in May 2026, at $2,274 as of September 2026.
Rent in Alpine changed +1.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 336 California cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.
Rent has fallen 2 months in a row, and rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($108,660) is $2,717 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,210); a 2-bedroom is $2,740.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Alpine. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
Is your rent fair?
Compare your rent to the local median.
Who lives here
Alpine, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income above the national average, 51.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Alpine, CA has changed in 5 years
Rent in Alpine, CA has increased 5.6% since 2023, going from about $2,154 per month to roughly $2,274 today. Median household income grew from $103,503 to $108,660 between 2021 and 2024, a 5.0% shift. Headcount in the area went from 15,648 to 210 between 2021 and 2024, a 98.7% change. About 25.7% of households rent today, against 29% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 35.2% to 51.7%. Taken together, the five-year picture in Alpine, CA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
Discussions about Alpine
No discussions yet. Start the conversation.
Can you afford rent in Alpine on your salary?
At $2,274/mo, how Alpine rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Alpine rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Alpine. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Alpine
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Alpine is $2,274/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,040/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,740/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,210/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,660/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($108,660/yr), Alpine ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Alpine?
Is rent going up or down in Alpine?
How does Alpine rent compare to other cities in California?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Alpine?
At $2,274/mo, rent takes ~25% of Alpine's median household income ($108,660/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
How does this area stack up?
Pick another city or ZIP to compare.
Estimated from ZIP-level data
Be the first to submit your rent for Alpine.
No discussions yet.