County FMR · HUD FY2026
Mariposa County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Mariposa County, CA - 20% above the US average.
- $1,148
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,454
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +2.6%
- YoY change
- +20%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Mariposa is the 12th cheapest of 58 counties in California by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #503 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #503
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #12
- cheapest of 58 in California (2BR)
- -30%
- vs the state average
- $45,920
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (37.2%); 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 Mariposa County, CA. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Mariposa County, California at $1,148 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,454/mo and a studio is $1,016/mo. This is 20% higher than the national average of $959 and 30% below the California average of $1,647.
Rent increased2.6% from FY 2025 ($1,119), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $45,920/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 42.9% of the 1,899 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 10.3%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 6.0% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in California. Population: 17,130. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-2.7%, Census ACS). That's slower than California's statewide growth of +0.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MARIPOSA·COUNTY·CA·CA
Mariposa County, CA: $1,148/mo 1BR · #503 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA CA
- 1BR-FMR $1,148
- 2BR-FMR $1,454
- RANK-MID #503
- YOY-UP +2.6%
- VSUS-ABOVE +20%
- VS-ST-LOW -30% CA
- INC-MID 21%
- POP-SMALL 17K
- PHOTO-NEAR Los Angeles County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,033–$1,263
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Los Angeles ($937 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $928 | $1,016 | +$88 (+9.5%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,119 | $1,148 | +$29 (+2.6%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,338 | $1,454 | +$116 (+8.7%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,875 | $2,022 | +$147 (+7.8%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,247 | $2,439 | +$192 (+8.5%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Mariposa County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Mariposa sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,454 Top 16% higher than 84% of 3,145 counties
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 Mariposa compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other California counties
- Santa Clara
Santa Clara County
$2,982 1BR FMR / mo
- Orange
Orange County
$2,746 1BR FMR / mo
- San Diego
San Diego County
$2,459 1BR FMR / mo
- Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
$2,085 1BR FMR / mo
- Riverside
Riverside County
$1,777 1BR FMR / mo
- San Bernardino
San Bernardino County
$1,777 1BR FMR / mo
- Mariposa $1,148
Mariposa County
$1,148 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Mariposa 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), Mariposa County (this county) ($1,148).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,148/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using California BLS wages?
| Occupation | CA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $170,910 | 8.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $140,330 | 9.8% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $125,240 | 11% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $115,400 | 11.9% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $98,190 | 14% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $96,360 | 14.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $76,540 | 18% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $72,960 | 18.9% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,950 | 23% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $49,640 | 27.8% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,790 | 28.8% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $45,460 | 30.3% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $38,640 | 35.7% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $37,250 | 37% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $37,010 | 37.2% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Mariposa County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Mariposa (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 42.8% overall, from $804 to $1,148. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +17.9% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑2.6% | $1,016 | $1,148 | $1,454 |
| FY 2025 ↑10.8% | $928 | $1,119 | $1,338 |
| FY 2024 ↑17.9% | $891 | $1,010 | $1,218 |
| FY 2023 ↑6.1% | $794 | $857 | $1,086 |
| FY 2022 ↓3.3% | $718 | $808 | $1,063 |
| FY 2021 ↑4.0% | $746 | $836 | $1,102 |
| FY 2020 | $716 | $804 | $1,059 |
Where Mariposa County Ranks in California
Mariposa County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #12 of 58 counties in California. Nearest by rank: Lassen County ($1,279), Colusa County ($1,306), Glenn County ($1,362), Imperial County ($1,362), Tehama County ($1,362), Del Norte County ($1,370), Madera County ($1,376), Plumas County ($1,411), Mariposa County (this county) ($1,454), Kings County ($1,469), Tulare County ($1,474), Kern County ($1,483), Merced County ($1,503), Inyo County ($1,514), Alpine County ($1,529), Sierra County ($1,529), Calaveras County ($1,542).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Mariposa 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside CA).
Nearby Counties in California
Largest counties by population in California
Showing the 8 largest of 57 other counties in California.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Mariposa County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Mariposa County is $1,148 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,454 and a studio is $1,016.
How does Mariposa County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Mariposa County is 20% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,148 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Mariposa County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Mariposa County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,454 ranks #503 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 Mariposa County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $45,920 ($3,827/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Mariposa County.
Is rent going up or down in Mariposa County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Mariposa County increased by 2.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,119 to $1,148.
Which jobs can afford rent in Mariposa 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 $1,148/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Mariposa County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Mariposa County went from $804 in FY 2020 to $1,148 in FY 2026, a total change of +42.8% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Mariposa County?
In Mariposa County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,148/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 Mariposa County?
For Mariposa County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,148/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Mariposa County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 10.3%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
What is the unemployment rate in Mariposa County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 6.0% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Mariposa's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,148 implies about $45,920/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- California counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Los Angeles
- See where Mariposa ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.