ZIP 94085
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12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in ZIP 94085 usually run 1.7% below trend in December and 1.6% above it in July, about $133 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 94085 is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in May 2017.
Rent in ZIP 94085 changed +10.6% 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 94085 rose 6.7% while median household income rose 50.6% ($127,774 to $192,417). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in ZIP 94085 is 22.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 20 months in a row, and rose in 12 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($192,417) is $4,810 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($4,220); a 3-bedroom is $5,580.
3rd cheapest of 4 ZIP codes in Sunnyvale.
ZIP 95129, 6 miles away, rents for 22% less ($3,121/mo), about $10,900 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 94085. 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 94085 (Sunnyvale, CA) is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 64.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 94085 in Sunnyvale, CA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in ZIP 94085 in Sunnyvale, CA has shifted from $2,922 to $4,026, up 37.8% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $192,417 today, compared with $153,003 five years earlier. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. The renter share has risen from 60.2% to 61.9%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 55.3% to 64.7% across the same window. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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Tips for renters in ZIP 94085
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 94085 covers Sunnyvale, CA. The median rent here is $4,026/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $3,610/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $4,220/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($192,417/yr), ZIP 94085 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 10.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 94085 compare to the rest of Sunnyvale?
At $4,026/mo, rent takes ~25% of ZIP 94085's median household income ($192,417/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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