Rents are 6% below what Folsom'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 $2,667 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 Folsom usually run 1.3% below trend in January and 1.1% above it in July, about $64 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Folsom is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Folsom changed +4.7% 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 Folsom rose 26.1% while median household income rose 22.2% ($114,405 to $139,804). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Folsom is 32.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 8 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($139,804) is $3,495 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,840); a 3-bedroom is $3,850.
Orangevale, 4 miles away, rents for 17% less ($2,220/mo), about $5,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Folsom. 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
Folsom, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 54.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Folsom, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Folsom, CA has increased by $459 per month, settling near $2,667 after starting the period at $2,208. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $128,421 in 2021 to $139,804 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 11.9 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 79,201 to 83,916 between 2021 and 2024, a 6.0% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 51.7% to 54.9%. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Folsom, CA market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Folsom on your salary?
At $2,667/mo, how Folsom rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Folsom rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Folsom. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Folsom
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Folsom is $2,667/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,160/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,840/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,290/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,850/mo.
At 23% of local median household income ($139,804/yr), Folsom ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Folsom?
At $2,667/mo, rent takes ~23% of Folsom's median household income ($139,804/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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