Rents are 12% below what Sacramento'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 $2,045 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
January. Asking rents in Sacramento usually run 0.8% below trend in January and 0.8% above it in August, about $33 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Sacramento is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Sacramento changed +1.4% 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 Sacramento rose 31% while median household income rose 40.1% ($62,335 to $87,321). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Sacramento is 31.5% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 7 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($87,321) is $2,183 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,159); a 3-bedroom is $2,929.
The priciest of 24 ZIP codes in Sacramento, 95829 ($2,825/mo), costs 1.8 times the cheapest, 95821 ($1,610/mo).
Carmichael, 7 miles away, rents for 14% less ($1,757/mo), about $3,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Sacramento. 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
Sacramento, CA is roughly split between renters and owners, 37.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Sacramento, CA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Sacramento, CA has shifted from $1,678 to $2,045, up 21.9% since 2021. Median household income climbed from $71,074 to $87,321 between 2021 and 2024, a 22.9% shift. Census counts show Sacramento, CA adding about 10,101 residents over the five-year window, up 1.9% on net. The renter share has eased from 49.9% to 48.3%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 35.1% to 37.1% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Sacramento, 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 Sacramento on your salary?
At $2,045/mo, how Sacramento rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Sacramento rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Sacramento. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Sacramento
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Sacramento is $2,045/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,644/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,159/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,739/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,929/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($87,321/yr), Sacramento ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $2,045/mo, rent takes ~28% of Sacramento's median household income ($87,321/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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