Metro FMR · CBSA 41740 · HUD FY2026

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA metro area - 156% above the US average.

$2,459
1-bedroom FMR
$3,001
2-bedroom FMR
+5.6%
YoY change
+156%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA area rents at $3,001 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 155% above the US average, higher than 99% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#4
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+155%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$120,040
income to afford it (30% rule)
+5.6%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad: FMR at the affordability edge

At the metro's ACS median household income of $102,285, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 28.8% of annual income. It sits close to the 30% affordability guide, leaving little room for other housing costs.

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

With 3,289,701 residents, this is a large metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.6%, Census ACS).

The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.0%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.

The Census ACS median gross rent across all rental units here is $2,154/month - the FY2026 HUD two-bedroom FMR of $3,001 runs 39.3% above that all-unit-types median. The two figures measure different things (ACS covers every rented unit; FMR targets a specific bedroom count), so a gap is expected, not an error.

That budget pressure matches a top-decile 2-bedroom FMR nationally (#4 of 387 HUD-tracked metros).

A two-bedroom FMR sits at the edge of the 30% guide for a median-income household, taking 35.2% of recorded median income before utilities outside FMR and other household costs.

Observed renter burden: 55.0% of the 527,628 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

$2,288/mo

26.8% of median income

1 Bedroom

$2,459/mo

28.8% of median income

2 Bedroom

$3,001/mo

35.2% of median income

3 Bedroom

$3,998/mo

46.9% of median income

4 Bedroom

$4,845/mo

56.8% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·41740

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad: $2,459/mo 1BR · #4 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 41740

  • CBSA 41740
  • 1BR-FMR $2,459
  • 2BR-FMR $3,001
  • RANK-UPPER #4
  • YOY-SURGE +5.6%
  • VSUS-HIGH +156%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #23 CA
  • INC-EDGE 29%
  • POP-MEGA 3.3M
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bakersfield-Delano
  • VOUCH-90-110 $2,213–$2,705
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bakersfield-Delano ($1,319 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad sits among every US metro

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

$3,001 Top 1% higher than 99% 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%). Below this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Below this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #4 nationally

1BR $2,459 (+156% vs US, +5.6% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 41740.

Studio
$2,288
US avg $893
↑6.7% YoY +156% vs US
1 Bedroom
$2,459
US avg $959
↑5.6% YoY +156% vs US
2 Bedroom
$3,001
US avg $1,175
↑4.2% YoY +155% vs US
3 Bedroom
$3,998
US avg $1,525
↑3.8% YoY +162% vs US
4 Bedroom
$4,845
US avg $1,756
↑3.3% YoY +176% vs US

How San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other CA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 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).

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy
MA · 2 BR $2,941/mo
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

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
Fort Lauderdale
FL · 38.1% of income · 2 BR $2,333/mo
Cape Coral-Fort Myers
FL · 32.2% of income · 2 BR $1,961/mo

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad: quick answers

What is the average rent in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA is $2,459 per month. A 2-bedroom is $3,001 and a studio is $2,288.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA metro area is 156% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $2,459 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $3,001 ranks #4 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $98,360 ($8,197/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA area.
Is San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad's population growing, and how tight is its rental market? ▼
Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.6%, Census ACS). The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.0%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.

Compare San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad vs Bakersfield-Delano →

What this means for renters

Treat San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad'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 $2,459 implies about $98,360/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • See how San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad stacks up against a comparable metro before assuming this figure applies elsewhere. Compare vs Bakersfield-Delano
  • See where San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad ranks nationally on rent. National rankings

Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. This is a metro-wide figure across 1 county; actual asking rents in any specific county can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

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 $2,459/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.