Rents are 5% below what Pasadena'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 $3,010 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
December. Asking rents in Pasadena usually run 0.3% below trend in December and 0.6% above it in August, about $27 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Pasadena is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Pasadena changed +1.5% 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 Pasadena rose 27% while median household income rose 26.6% ($83,068 to $105,192). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Pasadena is 29.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% 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 ($105,192) is $2,630 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,447); a 2-bedroom is $3,087.
The priciest of 6 ZIP codes in Pasadena, 91103 ($3,592/mo), costs 32% more than the cheapest, 91104 ($2,722/mo).
South Pasadena, 3 miles away, rents for 12% less ($2,649/mo), about $4,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Pasadena. 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
Pasadena, CA is majority renter-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 56.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Pasadena, CA has changed in 5 years
Rent in Pasadena, CA has climbed 29.4% since 2021, going from about $2,326 per month to roughly $3,010 today. Median household income grew from $89,661 to $105,192 between 2021 and 2024, a 17.3% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 12.1 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 138,771 to 136,969 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.3% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 53.4% to 56.1%. Taken together, the five-year picture in Pasadena, 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 Pasadena on your salary?
At $3,010/mo, how Pasadena rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Pasadena rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Pasadena. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Pasadena
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Pasadena is $3,010/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,183/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,087/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,447/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,922/mo.
At 34% of local median household income ($105,192/yr), Pasadena ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.5% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $3,010/mo, rent takes ~34% of Pasadena's median household income ($105,192/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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