Rents are 10% below what Murrieta'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 $2,650 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
February. Asking rents in Murrieta usually run 0.8% below trend in February and 0.7% above it in August, about $40 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Murrieta is 0.2% below its high of $2,654 in August 2026, at $2,650 as of September 2026.
Rent in Murrieta changed +2.7% 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 Murrieta rose 41.4% while median household income rose 26% ($90,535 to $114,081). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Murrieta is 43.7% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($114,081) is $2,852 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,470); a 2-bedroom is $3,075.
Lake Elsinore, 9 miles away, rents for 11% less ($2,348/mo), about $3,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Murrieta. 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
Murrieta, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 32.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Murrieta, CA has changed in 5 years
The median rent in Murrieta, CA stood at $2,100 in 2021 and currently runs about $2,650, reflecting a 26.2% increase over the period. Median household income rose from $98,466 to $114,081 between 2021 and 2024, a 15.9% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. Renters now make up 30.5% of households, compared with 33.2% five years ago. Taken together, the five-year picture in Murrieta, 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 Murrieta on your salary?
At $2,650/mo, how Murrieta rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Murrieta rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Murrieta. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Murrieta
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Murrieta is $2,650/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,370/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,075/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,470/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $4,105/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($114,081/yr), Murrieta ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Murrieta?
At $2,650/mo, rent takes ~28% of Murrieta's median household income ($114,081/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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