California renters, the recent hikes in your housing costs could be worse.
My trusty spreadsheet analyzed Zillow data on rent and home prices for 50 larger U.S. metropolitan areas, including six in California, comparing September 2026 with the quaint, pre-pandemic era seven years earlier.
The median rent in the six California metros jumped 42% to $2,929 per month since 2019.
That rent sting might be minimized when you ponder what a California house hunter in those markets faced. A buyer’s estimated monthly payment jumped 113% since 2019, to $6,770 for a $929,600 purchase.
That’s tenants enjoying 38% smaller rent hikes.
And while it may sound odd, it’s a cost advantage that allows landlords to keep many of their renters as the homebuying industry continues to see sales near Great Recession lows.
America’s tenants saw the same patterns, as U.S
America’s tenants saw the same patterns, as U.S. rent hikes were also 38% smaller than buying.
That’s comparing a 40% rent increase over seven years to $1,932 per month with a 104% jump in a buyer’s payment to $2,670 for a $366,900 sale price.
The U.S. extremes: 66% smaller rent hikes in New Orleans and a 21% gap in Austin, Texas.
Metro math
Here is how rent hikes in the six
Here is how rent hikes in the six Golden State metro areas compared with a house hunter’s plight, ranked by the size of the gap:
– Inland Empire: 47% smaller rent hikes, the sixth-biggest difference of the 50 metros. It’s the gap between the 51% rent increase over seven years – No. 7 of the 50 U.S. metros studied – to $2,533 monthly, and a 109% jump in buyers’ payments – No. 17 – to a $581,600 median value.
– Sacramento: 45% smaller rent hikes – No. 9 – from a 36% rent increase in seven years – No. 32 – to $2,269 monthly vs. 81% jump in buyer’s payment – No. 44 – to $574,600 value.
– San Diego: 39% smaller rent hikes –
– San Diego: 39% smaller rent hikes – No. 24 – from a 44% rent increase in seven years – No. 15 – to $2,967 monthly vs. 113% jump in buyer’s payment – No. 12 – to $929,600 value.
– San Francisco: 36% smaller rent hikes – No. 33 – from a 25% rent increase in seven years – No. 46 – to $3,445 monthly vs. 68% jump in buyer’s payment – No. 49 – to $1.1 million value.
– Los Angeles-Orange County: 31% smaller rent hikes – No. 41 – from a 31% increase in seven years – No. 37 – to $2,929 monthly vs. a 100% jump in buyer’s payment – No. 33 – to $952,800 value.
– San Jose: 27% smaller rent hikes –
– San Jose: 27% smaller rent hikes – No. 48 – from a 25% rent increase in seven years – No. 45 – to $3,812 monthly vs. a 91% jump in buyer’s payment – No. 37 – to $1.5 million value.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
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September’s most popular Southern California real estate stories …
No. 1: Taco Bell relocation its longtime Irvine headquarters
No. 2: Diane Keaton’s former Laguna Beach flip lists for $10 million
No. 3: What’s the best housing market in Southern California?
No. 4: Dolly Parton’s former Solvang cottage compound lists for $2 million
No. 5: Newport Coast home linked to Latin music star Peso Pluma seeks $14 million
No. 6: Ultra-luxe, ‘overengineered’ beachfront Dana Point estate seeks $65 million
No. 7: California wants more fines against Huntington Beach in housing lawsuit
No. 8: Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort rebrands amid renovation
No. 9: Historic Dana Point home by Hollywoodland developer lists for $2.2 million
No. 10: Newport Beach waterfront estate with multi-boat dock lists for $58 million
No. 11: Costa Mesa approves plan to replace Fairview Center with 2,300 new homes
No. 12: 2-year-old Zia apartment complex sells in Anaheim
No. 13: California tenants suffered 8th-highest rent hikes in US over four decades
