Rents are 4% below what El Dorado Hills'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 $3,070 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
January. Asking rents in El Dorado Hills usually run 1% below trend in January and 0.8% above it in August, about $55 a month apart at today's median. Based on 8 years of data.
Rent in El Dorado Hills is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2018.
Rent in El Dorado Hills changed +6.9% 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 El Dorado Hills rose 30.3% while median household income rose 20.1% ($137,726 to $165,349). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in El Dorado Hills is 41% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 7 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($165,349) is $4,134 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($3,090); a 3-bedroom is $4,190.
Folsom, 4 miles away, rents for 13% less ($2,667/mo), about $4,800 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for El Dorado Hills. 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
El Dorado Hills, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income above the national average, 59.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How El Dorado Hills, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in El Dorado Hills, CA has climbed by $631 per month, settling near $3,070 after starting the period at $2,439. Household income in the area moved from $139,810 to $165,349 across the same window, up 18.3% versus 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 7.6 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 48,612 to 51,026 between 2021 and 2024, a 5.0% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 55.3% to 59.9%. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in El Dorado Hills, CA look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
Discussions about El Dorado Hills
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Can you afford rent in El Dorado Hills on your salary?
At $3,070/mo, how El Dorado Hills rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
El Dorado Hills rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in El Dorado Hills. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in El Dorado Hills
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in El Dorado Hills is $3,070/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,350/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,090/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,490/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $4,190/mo.
At 22% of local median household income ($165,349/yr), El Dorado Hills ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 6.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than El Dorado Hills?
At $3,070/mo, rent takes ~22% of El Dorado Hills's median household income ($165,349/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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