ZIP 90242
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12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
May. Asking rents in ZIP 90242 usually run 0.9% below trend in May and 1.3% above it in August, about $48 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 90242 is 0.6% below its high of $2,195 in June 2026, at $2,181 as of September 2026.
Rent in ZIP 90242 changed +1.7% over the year to September 2026. Across the 819 California ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.2%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in ZIP 90242 rose 32.1% while median household income rose 25% ($71,233 to $89,075). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in ZIP 90242 is 30.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($89,075) is $2,227 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,000); a 2-bedroom is $2,490.
ZIP 90270, 5 miles away, rents for 25% less ($1,635/mo), about $6,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 90242. 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.
Who lives here
ZIP 90242 (Downey, CA) is roughly split between renters and owners, 25.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 90242 in Downey, CA has changed in 5 years
The median rent in ZIP 90242 in Downey, CA stood at $1,646 in 2021 and currently runs about $2,181, reflecting a 32.5% increase over the period. Median household income rose from $75,005 to $89,075 between 2021 and 2024, a 18.8% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has contracted by 5.2% since 2021, moving from about 43,002 residents to roughly 40,767. Renters now make up 46.6% of households, compared with 51.1% five years ago. College-educated residents now make up 25.4% of adults here, versus 22.2% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 90242 in Downey, 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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Tips for renters in ZIP 90242
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 90242 covers Downey, CA. The median rent here is $2,181/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $2,000/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $2,490/mo.
At 29% of local median household income ($89,075/yr), ZIP 90242 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 90242 compare to other ZIPs in California?
How does ZIP 90242 compare to the rest of Downey?
At $2,181/mo, rent takes ~29% of ZIP 90242's median household income ($89,075/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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