Rents are 5% above what Oakland's 10-year trend predicts — running hotter than its own history.
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 $2,758 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 Oakland usually run 0.7% below trend in February and 0.8% above it in August, about $41 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Oakland is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Oakland changed +10.7% 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 Oakland rose -3.7% while median household income rose 37.9% ($73,692 to $101,600). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Oakland is 9.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 24 months in a row, and rose in 12 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($101,600) is $2,540 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,513); a 3-bedroom is $3,226.
The priciest of 12 ZIP codes in Oakland, 94612 ($3,158/mo), costs 43% more than the cheapest, 94601 ($2,216/mo).
San Pablo, 13 miles away, rents for 14% less ($2,375/mo), about $4,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Oakland. 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
Oakland, CA is majority renter-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 48.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Oakland, CA has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in Oakland, CA paid around $2,358 a month. That figure now sits near $2,758, up 17.0% from the 2021 baseline. Median household income climbed from $85,628 to $101,600 between 2021 and 2024, a 18.7% shift. Taken together, the five-year picture in Oakland, 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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At $2,758/mo, how Oakland rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Oakland rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Oakland. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Oakland
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Oakland is $2,758/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,792/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,513/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,062/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,226/mo.
At 33% of local median household income ($101,600/yr), Oakland ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 10.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $2,758/mo, rent takes ~33% of Oakland's median household income ($101,600/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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