Rents are 2% above what Sausalito'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 $3,984 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 Sausalito usually run 0.8% below trend in December and 0.8% above it in March, about $64 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.
Rent in Sausalito is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in December 2018.
Rent in Sausalito changed +6.9% 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 Sausalito rose 20.9% while median household income rose 63% ($111,906 to $182,357). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Sausalito is 29% 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 ($182,357) is $4,559 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($4,450); a 4-bedroom is $4,730.
San Rafael, 10 miles away, rents for 21% less ($3,166/mo), about $9,800 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Sausalito. 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
Sausalito, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income above the national average, 76.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Sausalito, CA has changed in 5 years
The median rent in Sausalito, CA stood at $2,981 in 2021 and currently runs about $3,984, reflecting a 33.6% increase over the period. Median household income rose from $140,417 to $182,357 between 2021 and 2024, a 29.9% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has contracted by 1.6% since 2021, moving from about 7,260 residents to roughly 7,141. Renters now make up 40.4% of households, compared with 44.7% five years ago. College-educated residents now make up 76.5% of adults here, versus 70.9% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Sausalito, 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 Sausalito on your salary?
At $3,984/mo, how Sausalito rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Sausalito rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Sausalito. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Sausalito
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Sausalito is $3,984/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,450/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,570/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,990/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $4,450/mo.
At 26% of local median household income ($182,357/yr), Sausalito ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 6.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Sausalito?
At $3,984/mo, rent takes ~26% of Sausalito's median household income ($182,357/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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