Rents are 8% below what Benicia'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 $2,455 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
July. Asking rents in Benicia usually run 0.5% below trend in July and 0.6% above it in March, about $27 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Benicia is 0.4% below its high of $2,466 in June 2026, at $2,455 as of September 2026.
Rent in Benicia 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 Benicia rose 25.3% while median household income rose 17.2% ($103,413 to $121,204). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Benicia is 25.1% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($121,204) is $3,030 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,810); a 3-bedroom is $3,750.
Vallejo, 5 miles away, rents for 10% less ($2,200/mo), about $3,100 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Benicia. 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
Benicia, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income above the national average, 47.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Benicia, CA has changed in 5 years
Rent in Benicia, CA has climbed 16.9% since 2021, going from about $2,100 per month to roughly $2,455 today. Census figures show median household income at $121,204 today, compared with $118,433 five years earlier. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 14.6 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 27,191 to 26,749 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.6% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 45.2% to 47.6%. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Benicia on your salary?
At $2,455/mo, how Benicia rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Benicia rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Benicia. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Benicia
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Benicia is $2,455/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,000/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,810/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,200/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,750/mo.
At 24% of local median household income ($121,204/yr), Benicia ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Is rent going up or down in Benicia?
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Has rent outpaced income in Benicia?
How does Benicia rent compare to other cities in California?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Benicia?
At $2,455/mo, rent takes ~24% of Benicia's median household income ($121,204/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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