Metro FMR · CBSA 20940 · HUD FY2026

El Centro, CA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the El Centro, CA MSA metro area - 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

A 2-bedroom in the El Centro, CA MSA area rents at $1,362 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 16% above the US average, higher than 58% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#163
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+16%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$54,480
income to afford it (30% rule)
-1.7%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

El Centro: #163 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $56,393, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 22.1% of annual income. It remains below the 30% affordability guide, but is a material part of a median-income household's budget.

The 2-bedroom figure places El Centro in the middle half of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 179,578 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Its 2-bedroom FMR sits in the middle half of HUD metro areas, so the local-income comparison is more informative than the national rank alone.

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

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 the FY2026 HUD FMR benchmark.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$939/mo

20.0% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,038/mo

22.1% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,362/mo

29.0% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,845/mo

39.3% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,285/mo

48.6% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·20940

El Centro: $1,038/mo 1BR · #163 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 20940

  • CBSA 20940
  • 1BR-FMR $1,038
  • 2BR-FMR $1,362
  • RANK-MID #163
  • YOY-FLAT -1.7%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +8%
  • IN-ST-LOW #1 CA
  • INC-MID 22%
  • POP-MID 180K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bakersfield-Delano
  • VOUCH-90-110 $934–$1,142
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bakersfield-Delano ($102 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Where El Centro sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$1,362 higher than 58% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). This entry sits in this band. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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

El Centro studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #163 nationally

1BR $1,038 (+8% vs US, -1.7% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 20940.

Studio
$939
US avg $893
↓0.1% YoY +5% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,038
US avg $959
↓1.7% YoY +8% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,362
US avg $1,175
↓0.7% YoY +16% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,845
US avg $1,525
↓1.5% YoY +21% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,285
US avg $1,756
↓0.1% YoY +30% vs US

How El Centro compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other CA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows El Centro highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

El Centro: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs El Centro with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside CA (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside CA

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Warner Robins
GA · 2 BR $1,362/mo
Mineral County
MT · 2 BR $1,361/mo
Grants Pass
OR · 2 BR $1,363/mo
Lake Havasu City-Kingman
AZ · 2 BR $1,365/mo

Burden % · outside CA

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Port St. Lucie
FL · 29.1% of income · 2 BR $1,757/mo
Ithaca
NY · 28.8% of income · 2 BR $1,753/mo
Eugene-Springfield
OR · 29.2% of income · 2 BR $1,688/mo
Bergen-Passaic
NJ · 28.7% of income · 2 BR $2,324/mo

El Centro: quick answers

What is the average rent in the El Centro, CA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in El Centro, CA MSA is $1,038 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,362 and a studio is $939.
How does El Centro, CA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the El Centro, CA MSA metro area is 8% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,038 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does El Centro rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,362 ranks #163 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in El Centro, CA MSA? ▼
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 the El Centro, CA MSA area.

Compare El Centro vs Bakersfield-Delano →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,038/mo · 1BR CA

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.