Rents are 7% below what Los Angeles'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 $2,778 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: September 25, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Los Angeles usually run 0.5% below trend in December and 0.5% above it in August, about $28 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Los Angeles is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Los Angeles changed +0.8% over the year to August 2026. Across the 336 California cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.3%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Los Angeles rose 17.8% while median household income rose 31.9% ($62,142 to $81,939). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Los Angeles is 19.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 36.8% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($81,939) is $2,048 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a studio ($2,035); a 1-bedroom is $2,285.
The priciest of 96 ZIP codes in Los Angeles, 90272 ($13,287/mo), costs 7.2 times the cheapest, 90057 ($1,853/mo).
East Los Angeles, 4 miles away, rents for 24% less ($2,111/mo), about $8,000 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Los Angeles. 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
Los Angeles, CA is majority renter-occupied, 38.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Los Angeles, CA has changed in 5 years
The median rent in Los Angeles, CA stood at $2,276 in 2021 and currently runs about $2,778, reflecting a 22.1% increase over the period. Census figures show median household income at $81,939 today, compared with $69,778 five years earlier. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has contracted by 1.2% since 2021, moving from about 3,902,440 residents to roughly 3,857,263. College-educated residents now make up 38.5% of adults here, versus 36.2% in 2021. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Los Angeles on your salary?
At $2,778/mo, how Los Angeles rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Los Angeles rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Los Angeles. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Los Angeles
Last updated: September 25, 2026
The median rent in Los Angeles is $2,778/mo as of September 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,035/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,884/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,285/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,672/mo.
At 41% of local median household income ($81,939/yr), Los Angeles ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Los Angeles?
At $2,778/mo, rent takes ~41% of Los Angeles's median household income ($81,939/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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