Rents are right about where Hollister's 10-year trend predicts.
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 $2,889 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
Rent in Hollister is 1.5% below its high of $2,932 in June 2026, at $2,889 as of September 2026.
Rent in Hollister changed +2.5% over the year to September 2026. Across the 336 California cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.
Rent has fallen 3 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($111,834) is $2,796 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,430); a 2-bedroom is $2,820.
Salinas, 21 miles away, rents for 12% less ($2,530/mo), about $4,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Hollister. 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
Hollister, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 19.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Hollister, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2023, rent in Hollister, CA has climbed by $327 per month, settling near $2,889 after starting the period at $2,562. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $87,761 in 2021 to $111,834 more recently. Income growth outran rent by about 14.6 percentage points, easing the affordability math somewhat compared with 2021. Headcount in the area went from 41,077 to 43,811 between 2021 and 2024, a 6.7% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 14.9% to 19.1%. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Hollister, CA market of 2023.
Discussions about Hollister
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Can you afford rent in Hollister on your salary?
At $2,889/mo, how Hollister rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Hollister rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Hollister. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Hollister
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Hollister is $2,889/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,150/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,820/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,430/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,610/mo.
At 31% of local median household income ($111,834/yr), Hollister ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.5% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Hollister?
Is rent going up or down in Hollister?
How does Hollister rent compare to other cities in California?
At $2,889/mo, rent takes ~31% of Hollister's median household income ($111,834/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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