Rents are 4% above what Pleasanton'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 $3,175 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 Pleasanton usually run 1.2% below trend in December and 1.2% above it in July, about $76 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Pleasanton is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in May 2016.
Rent in Pleasanton changed +7.3% 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 Pleasanton rose 12.8% while median household income rose 21.6% ($156,400 to $190,124). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Pleasanton is 20% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 10 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($190,124) is $4,753 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($4,305); a 4-bedroom is $5,115.
Hayward, 13 miles away, rents for 16% less ($2,652/mo), about $6,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Pleasanton. 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
Pleasanton, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 69.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Pleasanton, CA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Pleasanton, CA has shifted from $2,627 to $3,175, up 20.9% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $190,124 today, compared with $167,932 five years earlier. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Pleasanton, CA losing about 2,598 residents over the five-year window, down 3.3% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 66.3% to 69.9% across the same window. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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At $3,175/mo, how Pleasanton rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Pleasanton rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Pleasanton. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Pleasanton
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Pleasanton is $3,175/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,430/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,365/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,765/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $4,305/mo.
At 20% of local median household income ($190,124/yr), Pleasanton ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 7.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $3,175/mo, rent takes ~20% of Pleasanton's median household income ($190,124/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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