Rents are 7% below what Santa Clarita'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 $2,816 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: August 17, 2026
Is your rent fair?
Compare your rent to the local median.
Who lives here
Santa Clarita, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 39.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Santa Clarita, CA has changed in 5 years
Rent in Santa Clarita, CA has increased 24.1% since 2021, going from about $2,270 per month to roughly $2,816 today. Median household income grew from $106,166 to $123,062 between 2021 and 2024, a 15.9% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 8.2 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 227,182 to 230,221 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.3% change. About 28.2% of households rent today, against 29.7% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 37.7% to 39.8%. Taken together, the five-year picture in Santa Clarita, 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.
Discussions about Santa Clarita
No discussions yet. Start the conversation.
Can you afford rent in Santa Clarita on your salary?
At $2,816/mo, how Santa Clarita rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Santa Clarita rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Santa Clarita. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Santa Clarita
Last updated: August 17, 2026
The median rent in Santa Clarita is $2,816/mo as of August 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,332/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,300/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,615/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $4,195/mo.
At 27% of local median household income ($123,062/yr), Santa Clarita ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
Is Santa Clarita an affordable city for renters?
How much income do you need to rent in Santa Clarita?
Is rent going up or down in Santa Clarita?
Which Santa Clarita neighborhoods have the lowest rent?
How does Santa Clarita rent compare to other cities in California?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Santa Clarita?
What percentage of Santa Clarita residents rent vs. own?
How does Santa Clarita rent compare to the national average?
At $2,816/mo, rent takes ~27% of Santa Clarita's median household income ($123,062/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
How does this area stack up?
Pick another city or ZIP to compare.
Estimated from ZIP-level data
Be the first to submit your rent for Santa Clarita.
No discussions yet.
