Rents are 5% below what Garden Grove'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 $2,703 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
October. Asking rents in Garden Grove usually run 0.6% below trend in October and 0.9% above it in January, about $41 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Garden Grove is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in May 2016.
Rent in Garden Grove 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 Garden Grove rose 36.4% while median household income rose 33% ($69,278 to $92,174). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Garden Grove is 46.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($92,174) is $2,304 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,138); a 2-bedroom is $2,538.
The priciest of 4 ZIP codes in Garden Grove, 92843 ($2,934/mo), costs 17% more than the cheapest, 92841 ($2,503/mo).
Long Beach, 12 miles away, rents for 11% less ($2,412/mo), about $3,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Garden Grove. 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
Garden Grove, CA is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income above the national average, 25.3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Garden Grove, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Garden Grove, CA has climbed by $723 per month, settling near $2,703 after starting the period at $1,980. Household income in the area moved from $78,046 to $92,174 across the same window, up 18.1% versus 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 18.4 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 172,708 to 170,964 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.0% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 23% to 25.3%. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Garden Grove, CA look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
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Can you afford rent in Garden Grove on your salary?
At $2,703/mo, how Garden Grove rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Garden Grove rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Garden Grove. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Garden Grove
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Garden Grove is $2,703/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,018/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,538/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,138/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,435/mo.
At 35% of local median household income ($92,174/yr), Garden Grove ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Garden Grove?
At $2,703/mo, rent takes ~35% of Garden Grove's median household income ($92,174/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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