Rents are 4% below what Hawthorne'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 $2,145 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: August 17, 2026
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Who lives here
Hawthorne, CA is majority renter-occupied, 26% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Hawthorne, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Hawthorne, CA has climbed by $521 per month, settling near $2,145 after starting the period at $1,624. Median household income grew from $63,847 to $75,848 between 2021 and 2024, a 18.8% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 13.3 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 87,863 to 85,191 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.0% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 24% to 26%. Taken together, the five-year picture in Hawthorne, CA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Hawthorne on your salary?
At $2,145/mo, how Hawthorne rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Hawthorne rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Hawthorne. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Hawthorne
Last updated: August 17, 2026
The median rent in Hawthorne is $2,145/mo as of August 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,650/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,340/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,860/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,970/mo.
At 34% of local median household income ($75,848/yr), Hawthorne ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 9.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hawthorne an affordable city for renters?
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Is rent going up or down in Hawthorne?
How does Hawthorne rent compare to other cities in California?
What percentage of Hawthorne residents rent vs. own?
How does Hawthorne rent compare to the national average?
At $2,145/mo, rent takes ~34% of Hawthorne's median household income ($75,848/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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