Rents are 3% above what Berkeley's 10-year trend predicts — running hotter than its own history.
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 $2,853 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
November. Asking rents in Berkeley usually run 1.3% below trend in November and 0.9% above it in May, about $63 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Berkeley is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in December 2016.
Rent in Berkeley changed +3.4% 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 Berkeley rose 5.8% while median household income rose 26.4% ($85,530 to $108,092). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Berkeley is 11.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($108,092) is $2,702 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,654); a 3-bedroom is $3,399.
The priciest of 7 ZIP codes in Berkeley, 94710 ($3,217/mo), costs 26% more than the cheapest, 94703 ($2,544/mo).
El Cerrito, 3 miles away, rents for 11% less ($2,551/mo), about $3,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Berkeley. 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
Berkeley, CA is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 74.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Berkeley, CA has changed in 5 years
Rent in Berkeley, CA has increased 18.0% since 2021, going from about $2,418 per month to roughly $2,853 today. Household income in the area moved from $97,834 to $108,092 across the same window, up 10.5% versus 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 7.5 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Berkeley, CA look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
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Can you afford rent in Berkeley on your salary?
At $2,853/mo, how Berkeley rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Berkeley rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Berkeley. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Berkeley
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Berkeley is $2,853/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,913/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,654/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,178/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,399/mo.
At 32% of local median household income ($108,092/yr), Berkeley ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $2,853/mo, rent takes ~32% of Berkeley's median household income ($108,092/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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