Rents are 6% below what Brentwood'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 $3,420 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
December. Asking rents in Brentwood usually run 1% below trend in December and 1.1% above it in May, about $72 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Brentwood is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Brentwood changed +4.4% 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 Brentwood rose 37% while median household income rose 30.7% ($108,994 to $142,494). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Brentwood is 44.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 3 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($142,494) is $3,562 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,980); a 3-bedroom is $3,810.
Antioch, 8 miles away, rents for 18% less ($2,814/mo), about $7,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Brentwood. 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
Brentwood, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 39.3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Brentwood, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Brentwood, CA has climbed by $568 per month, settling near $3,420 after starting the period at $2,852. On the earnings side, the typical household in Brentwood, CA now reports about $142,494, up from $125,152 in 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 6.0 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 63,618 to 65,208 between 2021 and 2024, a 2.5% change. About 17.8% of households rent today, against 19.8% in 2021. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Brentwood, CA reflects that arc in its own way.
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At $3,420/mo, how Brentwood rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Brentwood rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Brentwood. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Brentwood
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Brentwood is $3,420/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,150/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,980/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,450/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,810/mo.
At 29% of local median household income ($142,494/yr), Brentwood ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Brentwood rent compare to other cities in California?
At $3,420/mo, rent takes ~29% of Brentwood's median household income ($142,494/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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