County FMR · HUD FY2026

Imperial County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Imperial County, CA - 8% above the US average.

$1,038
1-bedroom FMR
$1,362
2-bedroom FMR
-1.7%
YoY change
+8%
vs US avg

The verdict

Imperial is the 7th cheapest of 58 counties in California by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #629 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#629
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#7
cheapest of 58 in California (2BR)
-37%
vs the state average
$41,520
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33.7%); nearby California counties range as much as 68% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Imperial County, CA. Verify with HUD →

Imperial County, California carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,038 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,362/mo and a studio is $939/mo. That's 8% above the national benchmark of $959 and 37% below the California average of $1,647.

Rent decreased1.7% from FY 2025 ($1,056), declining against the trend. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $41,520/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 49.3% of the 21,112 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in California. Population: 179,578. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.5%, Census ACS). That's in line with California's statewide growth of +0.2% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area IMPERIAL·COUNTY·CA·CA

Imperial County, CA: $1,038/mo 1BR · #629 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA CA
  • 1BR-FMR $1,038
  • 2BR-FMR $1,362
  • RANK-MID #629
  • YOY-FLAT -1.7%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +8%
  • VS-ST-LOW -37% CA
  • INC-MID 22%
  • POP-MID 180K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Los Angeles County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $934–$1,142
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Los Angeles ($1,047 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,513 · US avg: $893
$939/mo
↓ 0.1% YoY -38% vs state +5% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,647 · US avg: $959
$1,038/mo
↓ 1.7% YoY -37% vs state +8% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $2,053 · US avg: $1,175
$1,362/mo
↓ 0.7% YoY -34% vs state +16% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $2,752 · US avg: $1,525
$1,845/mo
↓ 1.5% YoY -33% vs state +21% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $3,165 · US avg: $1,756
$2,285/mo
↓ 0.1% YoY -28% vs state +30% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $940
$939
$-1 (-0.1%)
1 Bedroom $1,056
$1,038
$-18 (-1.7%)
2 Bedroom $1,371
$1,362
$-9 (-0.7%)
3 Bedroom $1,873
$1,845
$-28 (-1.5%)
4 Bedroom $2,287
$2,285
$-2 (-0.1%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Imperial County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
20%
Affordable
Need $37,560/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
22.1%
Affordable
Need $41,520/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
29%
Affordable
Need $54,480/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
39.3%
Burdened
Need $73,800/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
48.6%
Burdened
Need $91,400/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%29%
Imperial County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $56,393 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View California rent burden →

Where Imperial sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,362 Top 20% higher than 80% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). This entry sits in this band. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Imperial compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other California counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Imperial is highlighted. Nearby California counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Santa Clara County ($2,982), Orange County ($2,746), San Diego County ($2,459), Los Angeles County ($2,085), Riverside County ($1,777), San Bernardino County ($1,777), Imperial County (this county) ($1,038).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $1,038/mo compares to California salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation CA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $170,910 7.3% Affordable
Registered Nurses $140,330 8.9% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $125,240 9.9% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $115,400 10.8% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $98,190 12.7% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $96,360 12.9% Affordable
Electricians $76,540 16.3% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $72,960 17.1% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $59,950 20.8% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $49,640 25.1% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $47,790 26.1% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $45,460 27.4% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $38,640 32.2% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $37,250 33.4% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $37,010 33.7% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (California) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Imperial County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Imperial (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 32.9% overall, from $781 to $1,038. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.9% (FY 2023).

$700$800$900$1,000$1,100 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,038
Imperial County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓1.7% $939 $1,038 $1,362
FY 2025 ↑5.5% $940 $1,056 $1,371
FY 2024 ↑10.7% $872 $1,001 $1,286
FY 2023 ↑10.9% $772 $904 $1,155
FY 2022 ↑0.6% $716 $815 $1,065
FY 2021 ↑3.7% $708 $810 $1,060
FY 2020 $669 $781 $1,027
Total change (6yr): +32.9%
Annualized: +4.9%/yr
1 BR: $781 → $1,038

Part of the El Centro, CA Metro Area

Imperial County is a central county of the El Centro, CA metropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Imperial County, both outside California so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside CA (FY2026).

Houston County
GA · 2 BR $1,362/mo
Orange County
VT · 2 BR $1,362/mo
Windsor County
VT · 2 BR $1,362/mo
Josephine County
OR · 2 BR $1,363/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside CA).

Chatham County
GA · 29% of income · 2 BR $1,680/mo
Amite County
MS · 29% of income · 2 BR $855/mo
Lincoln County
OR · 29% of income · 2 BR $1,480/mo
Dougherty County
GA · 29% of income · 2 BR $1,129/mo

Nearby Counties in California

Largest counties by population in California

Showing the 8 largest of 57 other counties in California.

Los Angeles County
1 BR: $2,085/mo Pop: 9,936,690
San Diego County
1 BR: $2,459/mo Pop: 3,289,701
Orange County
1 BR: $2,746/mo Pop: 3,175,227
Riverside County
1 BR: $1,777/mo Pop: 2,429,487
San Bernardino County
1 BR: $1,777/mo Pop: 2,180,563
Santa Clara County
1 BR: $2,982/mo Pop: 1,916,831
Alameda County
1 BR: $2,385/mo Pop: 1,663,823
Sacramento County
1 BR: $1,832/mo Pop: 1,579,211
View all counties in California →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Imperial County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Imperial County is $1,038 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,362 and a studio is $939.
How does Imperial County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Imperial County is 8% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,038 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Imperial County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Imperial County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,362 ranks #629 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Imperial County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $41,520 ($3,460/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Imperial County.
Is rent going up or down in Imperial County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Imperial County decreased by 1.7% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,056 to $1,038.
Which jobs can afford rent in Imperial County? ▼
Based on California BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, Registered Nurses, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,038/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Imperial County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Imperial County went from $781 in FY 2020 to $1,038 in FY 2026, a total change of +32.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Imperial County? ▼
In Imperial County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,038/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Imperial County? ▼
For Imperial County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,038/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.