Rent Affordability for A Paramedic in California

A typical paramedic in California earns about $62,752 a year, which supports approximately $1,569 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked California city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.

As of May 2026. 2 of 200 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 198 are rent-burdened on this salary.

City↕Median rent↕% of income↑Affordability
Porterville, CA$1,475/mo28.2%affordable
Chico, CA$1,561/mo29.9%affordable
El Centro, CA$1,573/mo30.1%stretched
Redding, CA$1,647/mo31.5%stretched
Carmichael, CA$1,757/mo33.6%stretched
Huntington Park, CA$1,768/mo33.8%stretched
Tulare, CA$1,792/mo34.3%stretched
Visalia, CA$1,839/mo35.2%stretched
Hemet, CA$1,839/mo35.2%stretched
Citrus Heights, CA$1,883/mo36%stretched
Apple Valley, CA$1,899/mo36.3%stretched
Bakersfield, CA$1,901/mo36.4%stretched
Colton, CA$1,929/mo36.9%stretched
Fresno, CA$1,945/mo37.2%stretched
Ceres, CA$1,960/mo37.5%stretched
San Bernardino, CA$1,971/mo37.7%stretched
Yuba City, CA$1,993/mo38.1%stretched
Hanford, CA$2,008/mo38.4%stretched
Modesto, CA$2,022/mo38.7%stretched
Florin, CA$2,024/mo38.7%stretched
Stockton, CA$2,032/mo38.9%stretched
Merced, CA$2,041/mo39%stretched
Sacramento, CA$2,045/mo39.1%stretched
Lynwood, CA$2,045/mo39.1%stretched
Turlock, CA$2,064/mo39.5%stretched
Palm Springs, CA$2,067/mo39.5%stretched
East Los Angeles, CA$2,125/mo40.6%rent-burdened
Hawthorne, CA$2,151/mo41.1%rent-burdened
Madera, CA$2,162/mo41.3%rent-burdened
Vallejo, CA$2,200/mo42.1%rent-burdened
Yucaipa, CA$2,199/mo42.1%rent-burdened
Bellflower, CA$2,221/mo42.5%rent-burdened
Hesperia, CA$2,237/mo42.8%rent-burdened
Victorville, CA$2,248/mo43%rent-burdened
Downey, CA$2,257/mo43.2%rent-burdened
El Cajon, CA$2,259/mo43.2%rent-burdened
West Sacramento, CA$2,263/mo43.3%rent-burdened
Lodi, CA$2,278/mo43.6%rent-burdened
Woodland, CA$2,287/mo43.7%rent-burdened
South Gate, CA$2,291/mo43.8%rent-burdened
Pico Rivera, CA$2,291/mo43.8%rent-burdened
Pomona, CA$2,319/mo44.3%rent-burdened
Compton, CA$2,315/mo44.3%rent-burdened
Indio, CA$2,316/mo44.3%rent-burdened
Gardena, CA$2,334/mo44.6%rent-burdened
Cathedral City, CA$2,343/mo44.8%rent-burdened
Lake Elsinore, CA$2,348/mo44.9%rent-burdened
Los Banos, CA$2,354/mo45%rent-burdened
San Jacinto, CA$2,366/mo45.2%rent-burdened
Clovis, CA$2,381/mo45.5%rent-burdened
Upland, CA$2,392/mo45.7%rent-burdened
Antelope, CA$2,389/mo45.7%rent-burdened
Davis, CA$2,394/mo45.8%rent-burdened
Whittier, CA$2,402/mo45.9%rent-burdened
Redlands, CA$2,398/mo45.9%rent-burdened
Rocklin, CA$2,408/mo46%rent-burdened
Long Beach, CA$2,412/mo46.1%rent-burdened
Moreno Valley, CA$2,412/mo46.1%rent-burdened
Rancho Cordova, CA$2,412/mo46.1%rent-burdened
Rowland Heights, CA$2,421/mo46.3%rent-burdened
Riverside, CA$2,427/mo46.4%rent-burdened
Fairfield, CA$2,425/mo46.4%rent-burdened
Pittsburg, CA$2,429/mo46.4%rent-burdened
National City, CA$2,426/mo46.4%rent-burdened
El Monte, CA$2,451/mo46.9%rent-burdened
Lancaster, CA$2,460/mo47%rent-burdened
Inglewood, CA$2,487/mo47.6%rent-burdened
Santa Maria, CA$2,509/mo48%rent-burdened
San Leandro, CA$2,517/mo48.1%rent-burdened
Roseville, CA$2,521/mo48.2%rent-burdened
Salinas, CA$2,530/mo48.4%rent-burdened
Manteca, CA$2,530/mo48.4%rent-burdened
Azusa, CA$2,532/mo48.4%rent-burdened
Rohnert Park, CA$2,533/mo48.4%rent-burdened
Richmond, CA$2,538/mo48.5%rent-burdened
West Covina, CA$2,552/mo48.8%rent-burdened
Concord, CA$2,569/mo49.1%rent-burdened
Ontario, CA$2,580/mo49.3%rent-burdened
Santa Rosa, CA$2,582/mo49.4%rent-burdened
Escondido, CA$2,590/mo49.5%rent-burdened
Buena Park, CA$2,590/mo49.5%rent-burdened
Covina, CA$2,598/mo49.7%rent-burdened
Vacaville, CA$2,627/mo50.2%severely rent-burdened
La Mesa, CA$2,627/mo50.2%severely rent-burdened
Highland, CA$2,630/mo50.3%severely rent-burdened
Monterey Park, CA$2,638/mo50.4%severely rent-burdened
Alhambra, CA$2,645/mo50.6%severely rent-burdened
Hayward, CA$2,652/mo50.7%severely rent-burdened
Murrieta, CA$2,650/mo50.7%severely rent-burdened
Corona, CA$2,661/mo50.9%severely rent-burdened
Norwalk, CA$2,662/mo50.9%severely rent-burdened
Folsom, CA$2,667/mo51%severely rent-burdened
Rialto, CA$2,675/mo51.2%severely rent-burdened
Elk Grove, CA$2,688/mo51.4%severely rent-burdened
Florence-Graham, CA$2,691/mo51.5%severely rent-burdened
Garden Grove, CA$2,703/mo51.7%severely rent-burdened
Jurupa Valley, CA$2,727/mo52.1%severely rent-burdened
Vista, CA$2,726/mo52.1%severely rent-burdened
Tracy, CA$2,742/mo52.4%severely rent-burdened
La Habra, CA$2,753/mo52.6%severely rent-burdened
Palm Desert, CA$2,749/mo52.6%severely rent-burdened
Oakland, CA$2,758/mo52.7%severely rent-burdened
Anaheim, CA$2,755/mo52.7%severely rent-burdened
Rosemead, CA$2,755/mo52.7%severely rent-burdened
Glendale, CA$2,765/mo52.9%severely rent-burdened
Los Angeles, CA$2,772/mo53%severely rent-burdened
Simi Valley, CA$2,778/mo53.1%severely rent-burdened
Santa Clarita, CA$2,783/mo53.2%severely rent-burdened
Palmdale, CA$2,780/mo53.2%severely rent-burdened
Rancho Cucamonga, CA$2,786/mo53.3%severely rent-burdened
Paramount, CA$2,806/mo53.7%severely rent-burdened
Antioch, CA$2,814/mo53.8%severely rent-burdened
Napa, CA$2,815/mo53.8%severely rent-burdened
Santa Ana, CA$2,820/mo53.9%severely rent-burdened
Santee, CA$2,829/mo54.1%severely rent-burdened
Montebello, CA$2,837/mo54.3%severely rent-burdened
Perris, CA$2,846/mo54.4%severely rent-burdened
Westminster, CA$2,851/mo54.5%severely rent-burdened
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA$2,849/mo54.5%severely rent-burdened
Berkeley, CA$2,853/mo54.6%severely rent-burdened
Petaluma, CA$2,869/mo54.9%severely rent-burdened
Alameda, CA$2,876/mo55%severely rent-burdened
Beaumont, CA$2,880/mo55.1%severely rent-burdened
Placentia, CA$2,882/mo55.1%severely rent-burdened
Fullerton, CA$2,888/mo55.2%severely rent-burdened
Oxnard, CA$2,894/mo55.3%severely rent-burdened
Oceanside, CA$2,910/mo55.6%severely rent-burdened
Carson, CA$2,909/mo55.6%severely rent-burdened
Camarillo, CA$2,911/mo55.7%severely rent-burdened
Union City, CA$2,913/mo55.7%severely rent-burdened
Brea, CA$2,916/mo55.8%severely rent-burdened
Walnut Creek, CA$2,924/mo55.9%severely rent-burdened
Chula Vista, CA$2,935/mo56.1%severely rent-burdened
Temecula, CA$2,946/mo56.3%severely rent-burdened
Menifee, CA$2,945/mo56.3%severely rent-burdened
Glendora, CA$2,950/mo56.4%severely rent-burdened
Baldwin Park, CA$2,959/mo56.6%severely rent-burdened
San Luis Obispo, CA$2,968/mo56.8%severely rent-burdened
Fountain Valley, CA$2,998/mo57.3%severely rent-burdened
San Diego, CA$3,004/mo57.4%severely rent-burdened
Torrance, CA$3,006/mo57.5%severely rent-burdened
Pasadena, CA$3,010/mo57.6%severely rent-burdened
Castro Valley, CA$3,011/mo57.6%severely rent-burdened
Cypress, CA$3,015/mo57.7%severely rent-burdened
Orange, CA$3,037/mo58.1%severely rent-burdened
Daly City, CA$3,046/mo58.2%severely rent-burdened
Livermore, CA$3,066/mo58.6%severely rent-burdened
El Dorado Hills, CA$3,070/mo58.7%severely rent-burdened
Chino Hills, CA$3,085/mo59%severely rent-burdened
Gilroy, CA$3,099/mo59.3%severely rent-burdened
Huntington Beach, CA$3,105/mo59.4%severely rent-burdened
Costa Mesa, CA$3,121/mo59.7%severely rent-burdened
San Ramon, CA$3,121/mo59.7%severely rent-burdened
Lake Forest, CA$3,166/mo60.5%severely rent-burdened
San Rafael, CA$3,166/mo60.5%severely rent-burdened
Pleasanton, CA$3,175/mo60.7%severely rent-burdened
Fontana, CA$3,191/mo61%severely rent-burdened
La Mirada, CA$3,191/mo61%severely rent-burdened
Tustin, CA$3,229/mo61.7%severely rent-burdened
Chino, CA$3,286/mo62.8%severely rent-burdened
Diamond Bar, CA$3,294/mo63%severely rent-burdened
Oakley, CA$3,294/mo63%severely rent-burdened
San Marcos, CA$3,311/mo63.3%severely rent-burdened
Dublin, CA$3,325/mo63.6%severely rent-burdened
Poway, CA$3,325/mo63.6%severely rent-burdened
Watsonville, CA$3,332/mo63.7%severely rent-burdened
Laguna Niguel, CA$3,343/mo63.9%severely rent-burdened
Thousand Oaks, CA$3,357/mo64.2%severely rent-burdened
Cerritos, CA$3,385/mo64.7%severely rent-burdened
Fremont, CA$3,388/mo64.8%severely rent-burdened
Lakewood, CA$3,401/mo65%severely rent-burdened
San Clemente, CA$3,411/mo65.2%severely rent-burdened
Arcadia, CA$3,412/mo65.2%severely rent-burdened
Brentwood, CA$3,420/mo65.4%severely rent-burdened
Santa Cruz, CA$3,418/mo65.4%severely rent-burdened
Redondo Beach, CA$3,483/mo66.6%severely rent-burdened
Aliso Viejo, CA$3,484/mo66.6%severely rent-burdened
Santa Monica, CA$3,516/mo67.2%severely rent-burdened
Carlsbad, CA$3,531/mo67.5%severely rent-burdened
Hacienda Heights, CA$3,538/mo67.7%severely rent-burdened
San Jose, CA$3,582/mo68.5%severely rent-burdened
Irvine, CA$3,604/mo68.9%severely rent-burdened
Milpitas, CA$3,614/mo69.1%severely rent-burdened
Santa Barbara, CA$3,642/mo69.6%severely rent-burdened
Eastvale, CA$3,659/mo70%severely rent-burdened
Newark, CA$3,670/mo70.2%severely rent-burdened
Morgan Hill, CA$3,797/mo72.6%severely rent-burdened
Yorba Linda, CA$3,870/mo74%severely rent-burdened
Santa Clara, CA$3,958/mo75.7%severely rent-burdened
San Mateo, CA$3,968/mo75.9%severely rent-burdened
Novato, CA$3,969/mo75.9%severely rent-burdened
Sunnyvale, CA$3,972/mo76%severely rent-burdened
South San Francisco, CA$4,141/mo79.2%severely rent-burdened
Redwood City, CA$4,301/mo82.2%severely rent-burdened
Cupertino, CA$4,307/mo82.4%severely rent-burdened
Encinitas, CA$4,340/mo83%severely rent-burdened
Newport Beach, CA$4,364/mo83.5%severely rent-burdened
Mountain View, CA$4,535/mo86.7%severely rent-burdened
Palo Alto, CA$4,558/mo87.2%severely rent-burdened
San Francisco, CA$4,784/mo91.5%severely rent-burdened
Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for California. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).