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California Section 8 Rent Calculator

Uses the HUD Fair Market Rent for California ($2,745 for a 2-bedroom) as the payment standard.

California Section 8 tenant rent estimator

Uses the HUD Fair Market Rent for California ($2,745 for a 2-bedroom) as the payment standard.

Your share of rent —
Housing authority pays —
Payment standard (FMR) —

California at a glance

FigureCaliforniaSource
Fair Market Rent (2BR)$2,745[3]
Fair Market Rent (1BR)$2,237[3]
Fair Market Rent (3BR)$3,703[3]
Median 2BR market rent$2,745[1]

[3] [1] Sources

Fair Market Rent (2BR) — all 50 states

California highlighted. Same data as the table below, shown as a distribution so the comparison is visible at a glance.

Fair Market Rent (2BR) — all 50 states. California is $2,745, ranked 1 of 50. The national median is $1,504, the highest is $2,745 (California), and the lowest is $1,000 (West Virginia). CA $2,745 HI $2,568 MA $2,527 NY $2,520 NJ $2,282 WA $2,072 NH $2,040 CT $2,027 FL $1,973 MD $1,955 CO $1,895 RI $1,765 OR $1,738 VA $1,735 NV $1,733 AZ $1,709 VT $1,684 ME $1,681 DE $1,675 AK $1,591 UT $1,582 IL $1,579 MT $1,558 TX $1,557 GA $1,551 MN $1,504 PA $1,501 ID $1,410 NC $1,410 TN $1,363 SC $1,352 MI $1,327 NM $1,308 WI $1,287 IN $1,255 OH $1,238 NE $1,200 MO $1,154 LA $1,138 OK $1,136 KS $1,129 KY $1,125 IA $1,112 SD $1,094 ND $1,088 AL $1,087 AR $1,083 WY $1,079 MS $1,041 WV $1,000

Highlighted: California, ranked 1 of 50. Median $1,504.

California voucher subsidy by income and unit size

Monthly housing-authority subsidy against California payment standards (2BR $2,745).

Monthly incomeStudio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
$500$1,799$2,087$2,595$3,553$4,038
$650$1,754$2,042$2,550$3,508$3,993
$800$1,709$1,997$2,505$3,463$3,948
$950$1,664$1,952$2,460$3,418$3,903
$1,100$1,619$1,907$2,415$3,373$3,858
$1,250$1,574$1,862$2,370$3,328$3,813
$1,400$1,529$1,817$2,325$3,283$3,768
$1,550$1,484$1,772$2,280$3,238$3,723
$1,700$1,439$1,727$2,235$3,193$3,678
$1,850$1,394$1,682$2,190$3,148$3,633
$2,000$1,349$1,637$2,145$3,103$3,588
$2,200$1,289$1,577$2,085$3,043$3,528
$2,400$1,229$1,517$2,025$2,983$3,468
$2,650$1,154$1,442$1,950$2,908$3,393
$2,900$1,079$1,367$1,875$2,833$3,318
$3,200$989$1,277$1,785$2,743$3,228
$3,600$869$1,157$1,665$2,623$3,108
$4,000$749$1,037$1,545$2,503$2,988

Worked figures for California

California values:

IncomeAnnualTenant RentSubsidyStandard
$800$9,600$240$2,505$2,745
$1,000$12,000$300$2,445$2,745
$1,200$14,400$360$2,385$2,745
$1,500$18,000$450$2,295$2,745
$1,800$21,600$540$2,205$2,745
$2,100$25,200$630$2,115$2,745
$2,400$28,800$720$2,025$2,745
$2,700$32,400$810$1,935$2,745
$3,000$36,000$900$1,845$2,745
$3,500$42,000$1,050$1,695$2,745

How California compares nationally

On fair market rent (2br), California ranks #1 of 50 at $2,745 — 83% above the median of $1,504. The national range runs from $1,000 (West Virginia) to $2,745 (California).

RankStateFair Market Rent (2BR)
#1California$2,745
#2Hawaii$2,568
#3Massachusetts$2,527

High-cost FMR areas, ranked

Same rule structure as California:

StateFair Market Rent (2BR)vs California
California$2,745—
Hawaii$2,568-6.4%
New Jersey$2,282-16.9%
Connecticut$2,027-26.2%
Florida$1,973-28.1%
Colorado$1,895-31.0%

California questions, answered with California numbers

What is the Fair Market Rent in California?▾
HUD sets California's two-bedroom FMR at $2,745 a month ($2,237 for one bedroom, $3,703 for three). FMR is set by metro area, so your local figure may differ from the state number.
What would I pay on $1,800 a month income?▾
Roughly $540 as your share, with the housing authority covering about $2,205 against a $2,745 payment standard — the federal rule targets 30% of adjusted income.
How does California's FMR compare with market rent?▾
California's $2,745 two-bedroom FMR sits against a median market rent of $2,745, so the voucher generally reaches typical units.

Other high-cost fmr areas

Colorado Connecticut Florida Hawaii New Jersey

Last reviewed 2026-08-26. California figures only — verify with the relevant California agency before acting. How this is calculated.