Metro FMR · CBSA 41500 · HUD FY2026

Salinas, CA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Salinas, CA MSA metro area - 133% above the US average.

$2,232
1-bedroom FMR
$2,684
2-bedroom FMR
-10.0%
YoY change
+133%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Salinas, CA MSA area rents at $2,684 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 128% above the US average, higher than 97% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#12
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+128%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$107,360
income to afford it (30% rule)
-10.0%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Salinas: FMR at the affordability edge

At the metro's ACS median household income of $94,486, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 28.3% of annual income. It sits close to the 30% affordability guide, leaving little room for other housing costs.

The 2-bedroom figure places Salinas in the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 437,609 residents, this is a mid-sized metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

That budget pressure matches a top-decile 2-bedroom FMR nationally (#12 of 387 HUD-tracked metros).

A two-bedroom FMR sits at the edge of the 30% guide for a median-income household, taking 34.1% of recorded median income before utilities outside FMR and other household costs.

Observed renter burden: 53.5% of the 63,013 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

$2,173/mo

27.6% of median income

1 Bedroom

$2,232/mo

28.3% of median income

2 Bedroom

$2,684/mo

34.1% of median income

3 Bedroom

$3,623/mo

46.0% of median income

4 Bedroom

$3,945/mo

50.1% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·41500

Salinas: $2,232/mo 1BR · #12 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 41500

  • CBSA 41500
  • 1BR-FMR $2,232
  • 2BR-FMR $2,684
  • RANK-UPPER #12
  • YOY-DOWN -10.0%
  • VSUS-HIGH +133%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #20 CA
  • INC-EDGE 28%
  • POP-MAJOR 438K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bakersfield-Delano
  • VOUCH-90-110 $2,009–$2,455
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bakersfield-Delano ($1,092 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Salinas sits among every US metro

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

$2,684 Top 3% higher than 97% 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%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Below this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Below this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Below this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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

Salinas studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #12 nationally

1BR $2,232 (+133% vs US, -10.0% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 41500.

Studio
$2,173
US avg $893
↓10.0% YoY +143% vs US
1 Bedroom
$2,232
US avg $959
↓10.0% YoY +133% vs US
2 Bedroom
$2,684
US avg $1,175
↓10.0% YoY +128% vs US
3 Bedroom
$3,623
US avg $1,525
↓10.0% YoY +138% vs US
4 Bedroom
$3,945
US avg $1,756
↓10.0% YoY +125% vs US

How Salinas compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other CA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

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

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

Salinas: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Salinas 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).

Urban Honolulu
HI · 2 BR $2,642/mo
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury
CT · 2 BR $2,511/mo
Seattle-Bellevue
WA · 2 BR $2,501/mo
Kalawao County
HI · 2 BR $2,492/mo

Burden % · outside CA

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

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
FL · 33.3% of income · 2 BR $1,977/mo
Flagstaff
AZ · 33.1% of income · 2 BR $1,921/mo
Cape Coral-Fort Myers
FL · 32.2% of income · 2 BR $1,961/mo
Palm Coast
FL · 32.1% of income · 2 BR $1,806/mo

Salinas: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Salinas, CA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Salinas, CA MSA is $2,232 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,684 and a studio is $2,173.
How does Salinas, CA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Salinas, CA MSA metro area is 133% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $2,232 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Salinas rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $2,684 ranks #12 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Salinas, CA MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $89,280 ($7,440/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Salinas, CA MSA area.

Compare Salinas 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 $2,232/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.