Rents are 10% below what Vallejo'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 $2,200 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 Vallejo usually run 0.4% below trend in January and 0.6% above it in July, about $22 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Vallejo is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Vallejo changed +2.9% 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 Vallejo rose 21.7% while median household income rose 29.9% ($69,405 to $90,171). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Vallejo is 24.8% 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 ($90,171) is $2,254 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($1,843); a 2-bedroom is $2,377.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Vallejo, 94589 ($2,500/mo), costs 22% more than the cheapest, 94590 ($2,055/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Vallejo. 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
Vallejo, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 28.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Vallejo, CA has changed in 5 years
Rent in Vallejo, CA has climbed 19.6% since 2021, going from about $1,839 per month to roughly $2,200 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $78,243 in 2021 to $90,171 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 4.4 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Vallejo, CA market of 2021.
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At $2,200/mo, how Vallejo rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Vallejo rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Vallejo. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Vallejo
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Vallejo is $2,200/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,677/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,377/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,843/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,190/mo.
At 29% of local median household income ($90,171/yr), Vallejo ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Vallejo rent compare to other cities in California?
At $2,200/mo, rent takes ~29% of Vallejo's median household income ($90,171/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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