Rents are 5% below what San Gabriel'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 $2,706 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 San Gabriel usually run 1% below trend in February and 1% above it in August, about $54 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in San Gabriel is 0.6% below its high of $2,722 in January 2026, at $2,706 as of September 2026.
Rent in San Gabriel changed +3.1% 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 San Gabriel rose 32% while median household income rose 44.7% ($62,541 to $90,488). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in San Gabriel is 38.9% 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 ($90,488) is $2,262 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,080); a 2-bedroom is $2,620.
East Los Angeles, 7 miles away, rents for 21% less ($2,125/mo), about $7,000 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for San Gabriel. 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
San Gabriel, CA is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income above the national average, 35.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How San Gabriel, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in San Gabriel, CA has increased by $654 per month, settling near $2,706 after starting the period at $2,052. Census figures show median household income at $90,488 today, compared with $76,918 five years earlier. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 14.3 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 39,673 to 38,392 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.2% change. About 49.6% of households rent today, against 52.5% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 33.5% to 35.6%. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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Can you afford rent in San Gabriel on your salary?
At $2,706/mo, how San Gabriel rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
San Gabriel rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in San Gabriel. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in San Gabriel
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in San Gabriel is $2,706/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,850/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,620/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,080/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,325/mo.
At 36% of local median household income ($90,488/yr), San Gabriel ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than San Gabriel?
At $2,706/mo, rent takes ~36% of San Gabriel's median household income ($90,488/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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