Average Rent in San Diego by ZIP Code: All 96 ZIPs, by Bedroom (October 2026)

Updated October 2026 | Authored by Scott Engle, Broker DRE #01332676 | Realty Management Group | Serving San Diego County Since 2005

Last verified against primary sources: October 27, 2026.

Average asking rent in San Diego County ran from $2,219 a month in City Heights (92105) to $6,315 in Del Mar (92014) in RentCast data retrieved October 27, 2026. This page lists the average for every residential ZIP code in the county, 96 in all, by bedroom count, with listing counts and days on market. 77 ZIP codes had enough listings to publish; the rest are listed with the reason.

Rents rose in 51 ZIP codes and fell in 22 between November 2025 and October 2026, among the 74 with 30 or more listings. The largest increases were in Poway (92064, +15.8%) and Escondido (92029, +15.5%); the largest declines in Carlsbad (92011, -9.9%) and Bonita (91902, -7.4%). The listing-weighted countywide average, $3,363, sits inside that range and says nothing about either end.

Source: RentCast ZIP-level market statistics retrieved October 27, 2026 through Realty Management Group's API account; RMG internal Rentvine data. Figures are advertised asking rents, not signed leases; what a given property rents for depends on type, condition, features and competing inventory. Method in the methodology section.

City of San Diego: Average Rent by ZIP Code

The City of San Diego holds 32 of the county's residential ZIP codes and the widest spread: $2,219 in City Heights to $5,142 in La Jolla. Downtown 92101 carried 1,480 listings, the most in the county, 71% of them studios and one-bedrooms.

Source: RentCast market statistics per ZIP, retrieved October 27, 2026 via RMG's API account. n/a: under 30 listings. Blank: under 5 listings. Definitions in the methodology.

One figure needs explaining. College Area 92115 shows an all-unit average of $4,784, above Carmel Valley. That is the San Diego State rental pool: 415 of its 764 listings were four bedrooms or larger, houses rented whole. Its one-bedroom average, $1,841, sits among the lowest in the city; read that ZIP from the bedroom columns.

The coastal premium is plain in the bedroom columns. A two-bedroom averaged $5,632 in La Jolla, $4,177 in Pacific Beach and $4,359 in Carmel Valley, against $2,376 in City Heights and $2,317 in Logan Heights. Studios, listed in volume mainly in the urban core, averaged $2,294 in Downtown (416 listings), $2,077 in Hillcrest and $2,208 in Pacific Beach. Mission Valley 92108 averaged $3,386 on 787 listings; Mira Mesa 92126, $3,247 on 459.

Bottom line: inside the city limits, the all-unit average is $2,923 a month apart between the lowest and highest ZIP. Price from the ZIP and bedroom row, never from a citywide number.

South Bay and Coronado: Average Rent by ZIP Code

Chula Vista alone spans $2,577 in 91910 to $4,655 in 91914, though 91914 had only 23 listings and its change is not shown. National City 91950 was the lowest-rent ZIP in the South Bay at $2,362. Coronado 92118 averaged $5,996 and its listings stayed on the market 105 days on average, the longest in the county.

Source: RentCast market statistics per ZIP, retrieved October 27, 2026 via RMG's API account. n/a: under 30 listings. Blank: under 5 listings. Definitions in the methodology.

East County and the backcountry: Average Rent by ZIP Code

El Cajon's three ZIP codes ran from $2,385 (92021) to $2,985 (92019). Santee 92071 posted the largest increase in East County, 13.3%, while Lakeside 92040 fell 6.0%. Alpine 91901 was the second-lowest published ZIP in the county at $2,270. The twelve backcountry ZIP codes each returned fewer than 10 listings and are listed without figures.

Source: RentCast market statistics per ZIP, retrieved October 27, 2026 via RMG's API account. n/a: under 30 listings. Blank: under 5 listings. Definitions in the methodology.

Bottom line: El Cajon's three ZIP codes sit $600 apart at the all-unit level. A citywide El Cajon figure prices a home in 92019 as if it sat in 92021. The La Mesa pair, 91941 and 91942, were within $12 of each other.

North County coastal: Average Rent by ZIP Code

Three of the four most expensive ZIP codes in the county are here: Del Mar 92014 at $6,315, Solana Beach 92075 at $5,830 and Cardiff 92007 at $5,439; the fourth is Coronado. Carlsbad 92011 had the largest decline of any ZIP with 30 or more listings, 9.9%, while Oceanside's four ZIP codes ran from $3,087 to $3,558.

Source: RentCast market statistics per ZIP, retrieved October 27, 2026 via RMG's API account. n/a: under 30 listings. Blank: under 5 listings. Definitions in the methodology.

Bottom line: Encinitas 92024's 3-bedroom average of $6,609 ranks 6th in the county, behind La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Coronado and Cardiff, on 36 listings.

North County inland: Average Rent by ZIP Code

Poway 92064 rose 15.8%, the largest increase of any ZIP with 30 or more listings, to $3,668. Escondido split: 92029 rose 15.5% to $3,769 while 92025 averaged $2,738. San Marcos 92069 fell 6.5%. The three Vista ZIP codes sat within $122 of one another.

Source: RentCast market statistics per ZIP, retrieved October 27, 2026 via RMG's API account. n/a: under 30 listings. Blank: under 5 listings. Definitions in the methodology.

The Ten Highest and Ten Lowest Rent ZIP Codes in San Diego County

Ranked by all-unit average among the 77 published ZIP codes. Listing counts are in the tables above.

Highest average rent

1. Del Mar (92014): $6,315
2. Coronado (92118): $5,996
3. Solana Beach (92075): $5,830
4. Cardiff (92007): $5,439
5. La Jolla (92037): $5,142
6. Encinitas (92024): $4,970
7. College Area (92115): $4,784
8. Carlsbad, La Costa (92009): $4,682
9. Chula Vista, Eastlake north (91914): $4,655
10. Carmel Valley (92130): $4,423

Lowest average rent

1. City Heights (92105): $2,219
2. Alpine (91901): $2,270
3. Logan Heights (92113): $2,327
4. National City (91950): $2,362
5. El Cajon north (92021): $2,385
6. San Ysidro (92173): $2,443
7. Lakeside (92040): $2,461
8. El Cajon central (92020): $2,472
9. Golden Hill (92102): $2,516
10. North Park (92104): $2,519

Bottom line: the ten highest are the North County coast, La Jolla, Coronado, Carmel Valley, Eastlake north and College Area; the ten lowest are inner-city San Diego, the South Bay, El Cajon, Lakeside and Alpine. The whole county's spread is $4,096 a month between the two ends.

San Diego ZIP Codes With the Largest Rent Increases and Declines, November 2025 to October 2026

Comparing RentCast's November 2025 and October 2026 monthly averages across the 74 ZIP codes with 30 or more listings, 51 were higher, 22 lower and 1 unchanged. That is an 11-month span, not a year, and it compares two single months, so a ZIP that moved two or three percent either way should be read as roughly flat.

Largest increases: Poway 92064, +15.8%; Escondido west 92029, +15.5%; Santee 92071, +13.3%; Pacific Beach 92109, +11.9%; Otay Mesa 92154, +11.9%. Largest declines: Carlsbad 92011, -9.9%; Bonita 91902, -7.4%; San Marcos north 92069, -6.5%; Lakeside 92040, -6.0%; Oceanside northwest 92058, -5.7%. The declines cluster in North County and the increases in inland and South Bay ZIP codes. Whether a ZIP rose or fell says little about what a given house will rent for; the bedroom columns say more.

How Much More Does a 3-Bedroom Rent for Than the ZIP Average? 75 ZIP Codes Measured

In August 2026 we measured 14 ZIP codes and found the 3-bedroom average above the all-unit average in all 14. With every ZIP in the county now pulled, the pattern holds in 71 of the 75 ZIP codes that had five or more 3-bedroom listings. The gap ran from $179 in 4S Ranch (92127) to $2,902 in Point Loma (92106, 9 listings).

The four exceptions are Chula Vista (91914), College Area (92115), Bonsall (92003) and Julian (92036), where large houses or thin samples pull the all-unit figure above the 3-bedroom one.

The gap tracks what gets listed, not how desirable the neighborhood is. Where studios and one-bedrooms dominate the listings, as in Downtown and North Park, the all-unit average sits far below what a house commands. A homeowner benchmarking a 3-bedroom house against the all-unit ZIP average may start $179 to $2,902 a month below the 3-bedroom benchmark, depending on the ZIP.

Bottom line: the all-unit column is the right answer to 'what is rent in this ZIP' and the wrong answer to 'what should my house rent for.' Use the bedroom column for the second question.

Days on Market by ZIP Code: How Long San Diego Rentals Take to Lease

RentCast reports the average number of days a listing stayed active before it came off the market. Across the 77 published ZIP codes, all property types averaged 37 days, from 9 in Alpine (91901) to 105 in Coronado (92118). For single-family houses alone, in the 73 ZIP codes with 10 or more house listings, the average was 31 days. Both are simple averages of the ZIP-level figures, each ZIP counted once; weighted by listing count they are 33 and 32 days.

Source: RentCast market statistics by property type, Single Family, retrieved October 27, 2026. Days on market is the average days an active listing stayed on market in the period.

Two cautions. RentCast's median days on market collapses to two or three days in many ZIP codes because a share of listings come down within a day or two of posting, so this page uses the average. And the listing clock starts at listing, not at vacancy, and stops at removal, usually but not always a signed lease.

RMG's own figure is measured differently and is not directly comparable. Vacant RMG-managed homes leased in 13 days across more than 40 leases signed in the trailing 24 months ending August 2026, measured from vacancy to signed lease. That clock starts earlier than a listing clock, on the day the prior tenant left.

Bottom line: the market average for a house is about 31 days on the listing clock. Every week past that is a week of rent, and the vacancy calculator puts a dollar figure on it for your rent.

Using This Data to Price a San Diego Rental

Start from the row for your ZIP and the column for your bedroom count, not the all-unit figure and not a city average. Then adjust for what your property has that the listings behind that average do not: condition, parking, outdoor space, laundry, air conditioning, pet policy. The San Diego rental pricing guide covers the steps, the vacancy math and the adjustments.

Two legal limits apply to the number you land on. For a new tenancy, Civil Code §1947.12(b) lets the owner set the initial rent; for a continuing tenant in a covered unit, the increase is capped at 8.2% for August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 under the San Diego rent cap, and some cities add their own rules, listed in which San Diego cities have rent control.

As of October 27, 2026, emergency declarations covering San Diego County also limit rent increases, including new asking rents, to 10% over the pre-declaration price under Penal Code §396; the pricing guide's legal section carries the dates and the Cal OES list of active proclamations is the place to confirm the current period.

Bottom line: the table gives you the benchmark. The law gives you the ceiling. The property gives you the adjustment. Price in that order.

Methodology

Source. Every rent figure comes from RentCast's market statistics, one request per ZIP code, rental data type, 12-month history, retrieved October 27, 2026 through Realty Management Group's API account. RentCast aggregates active listings across property types; its averages are asking rents, not signed leases. Countywide figures are RMG calculations from the ZIP rows, weighted by listing count.

Coverage. The 96 ZIP codes are every standard, residential ZIP in San Diego County on the USPS list for the county, excluding PO box, military and single-building codes. Tecate (91980) and Camp Pendleton (92055) returned no rental data.

Thresholds. A ZIP is published with figures at 10 or more listings and October 2026 data; 17 fell below that and appear with the reason. Change is shown only at 30 or more listings. A bedroom cell is blank below 5 listings. No bedroom-level percentage change is published.

Definitions. All units is the average asking rent across every bedroom count and property type in the ZIP. Change is October 2026 against November 2025 in RentCast's monthly history, the latest and earliest months returned, an 11-month span. Days on market is RentCast's average days an active listing stayed on market; single-family figures use RentCast's property-type breakdown.

Refresh. This page is dated to the retrieval date in the byline; when the figures are refreshed, the date, the tables and the counts change together. RentCast bedroom categories cover all rental property types in the ZIP and are not restricted to detached single-family homes.

Frequently Asked Questions About San Diego Rent by ZIP Code

What is the average rent in San Diego in 2026?

$3,363 a month across all unit types, as of October 27, 2026: the average asking rent on 15,963 active listings in 77 San Diego County ZIP codes, weighted by listing count. It is an advertised-rent figure, not a median and not a signed-lease rent. By ZIP it ran from $2,219 in City Heights (92105) to $6,315 in Del Mar (92014), so use the row for your ZIP and the column for your bedroom count.

What is the average rent for a 2-bedroom in San Diego?

$3,371 a month countywide, weighted by listing count, as of October 27, 2026. By ZIP: $4,212 in Downtown 92101, $2,878 in North Park 92104, $4,177 in Pacific Beach 92109, $2,720 in Chula Vista 91910, $2,359 in El Cajon 92020 and $2,491 in Escondido 92025, each an average of active listings across apartments, condos and houses in that ZIP.

What is the cheapest ZIP code to rent in San Diego?

Among ZIP codes with 10 or more listings, City Heights 92105 had the lowest all-unit average at $2,219 on 200 listings, followed by Alpine 91901 at $2,270 and Logan Heights 92113 at $2,327. National City 91950, El Cajon north 92021 and San Ysidro 92173 also averaged under $2,450. The full ranked list of ten is above.

Is rent going down in San Diego?

In some ZIP codes. Between November 2025 and October 2026, 22 of 74 ZIP codes with 30 or more listings had a lower average and 51 a higher one. The largest declines were Carlsbad 92011 (-9.9%), Bonita 91902 (-7.4%) and San Marcos 92069 (-6.5%). Two single months 11 months apart; a move of a few percent is normal listing turnover.

Why is the all-unit average lower than what houses rent for?

Because most listings in most ZIP codes are studios through two-bedrooms, and the all-unit average is weighted by what is listed. In 71 of 75 ZIP codes with five or more 3-bedroom listings, the 3-bedroom average exceeded the all-unit average, by $179 to $2,902 a month. Benchmark a house against the bedroom column, then adjust for the property.

How long does it take to rent a house in San Diego?

On the listing clock, single-family rentals averaged 31 days on market across 73 ZIP codes with 10 or more house listings, from 10 days in Scripps Ranch 92131 to 127 in Coronado 92118. RMG-managed homes leased in 13 days on average, vacancy to signed lease, across more than 40 leases in the 24 months ending August 2026; that clock starts earlier than a listing does.

Can a landlord raise rent to the ZIP average at renewal?

Not automatically. For a continuing tenant in a unit covered by AB 1482, the increase is capped at 8.2% for August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, in up to two increments that together stay within the cap. For a new tenancy the owner sets the initial rent, subject as of October 27, 2026 to the emergency 10% limit under Penal Code §396 while the declarations covering San Diego County remain in force.

Sources

1. Market statistics by ZIP code. RentCast. 96 ZIP codes, rental, 12-month history. Supports every rent, listing-count and days-on-market figure. Retrieved October 27, 2026 through RMG's API account; no public per-ZIP URL.
2. Market Statistics reference. RentCast developer documentation. Field definitions. Supports the column definitions. Read October 27, 2026.
3. San Diego County ZIP code list. zip-codes.com, from USPS data. Standard ZIP codes. Supports the 96-ZIP coverage list. Read October 26, 2026.
4. Civil Code §1947.12. State of California. (a)(1), (a)(2), (b). Supports initial rent on a new tenancy; 8.2% cap on covered renewals. RMG record, verified Aug 20, 2026.
5. Penal Code §396. State of California. (e), (j)(11). Supports the emergency 10% limit. Text read October 19, 2026.
6. Price gouging: active proclamations. Governor's Office of Emergency Services. San Diego County entries. Supports the current emergency period. Read October 19, 2026; re-check before relying on a date.
7. RMG internal management data. Rentvine, trailing 24 months ending August 2026. Supports the 13-day days-to-lease figure. Not independently verifiable.

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