What Does It Cost to Rent in the Bay Area in 2026?
Answer first: Across the Bay Area, the median asking rent for a 1-bedroom was $2,876 a month, based on 21,764 units listed in the 180 days before October 1, 2026. In the City of San Francisco it was $4,250 a month (4,639 units). In San Jose it was $2,958 a month (2,483 units) and in Oakland $2,200 a month (1,972 units). Of the areas with at least 10 listed 1-bedrooms, the lowest median was Cherryland at $1,675 a month and the highest was San Francisco's Financial District at $5,700 a month. These are asking rents in listings, not signed leases.
Every number on this page states its sample size. Small samples move more from month to month, so read them with care.
How we measured
- Source. RentReboot's Bay Area listing data, read on October 1, 2026.
- Window. Active listings first listed in the 180 days before that date.
- One price per unit. If a unit was listed more than once, we use its most recent asking price.
- Excluded. Classified-board listings, and units with no bedroom count.
- Statistic. The median, so half of the units ask more and half ask less.
- Areas. San Francisco is split into neighborhoods. Other places are mostly cities. We publish an area and bedroom count only when it has at least 10 units.
- What it is not. An asking rent is the price in the listing. The rent a tenant signs for can be different, and listings do not tell us that.
The city and neighborhood medians come from the table behind RentReboot's Bay Area average rent pages. The Bay-wide and City of San Francisco totals apply the same rules to all units in the region or city.
The Bay-wide picture
| Size | Median asking rent | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,450/month | 6,232 |
| 1-bedroom | $2,876/month | 21,764 |
| 2-bedroom | $3,450/month | 24,763 |
| 3-bedroom | $4,252/month | 12,657 |
A second, shorter window: across all tracked Bay Area listings first seen from September 12 to 30, 2026, the median asking rent was $3,170 a month. That covers 21,780 apartments of every size, with room shares excluded.
San Francisco vs Oakland vs San Jose
| City | Studio | 1-bedroom | 2-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (whole city) | $3,034 (2,564 units) | $4,250 (4,639 units) | $5,995 (3,596 units) |
| San Jose | $2,320 (513 units) | $2,958 (2,483 units) | $3,518 (3,067 units) |
| Oakland | $1,768 (820 units) | $2,200 (1,972 units) | $2,800 (1,873 units) |
Median asking rent a month. Same window and method as above. See the full pages for San Jose and Oakland, and the San Francisco neighborhoods below.
Where a 1-bedroom asks the least and the most
Of the 114 areas with at least 10 listed 1-bedrooms:
| Lowest medians | 1-bedroom | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Cherryland | $1,675/month | 13 |
| Vallejo | $1,729/month | 300 |
| Oakley | $1,771/month | 15 |
| Fairfield | $1,819/month | 266 |
| Antioch | $1,828/month | 148 |
Area pages: Cherryland, Vallejo, Oakley, Fairfield, Antioch.
| Highest medians | 1-bedroom | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Financial District, SF | $5,700/month | 217 |
| Pacific Heights, SF | $4,950/month | 173 |
| Potrero Hill, SF | $4,812/month | 136 |
| Marina, SF | $4,800/month | 210 |
| South of Market, SF | $4,688/month | 1,094 |
Area pages: Financial District, SF, Pacific Heights, SF, Potrero Hill, SF, Marina, SF, South of Market, SF.
Cherryland and Oakley have small samples (13 and 15 units).
San Francisco neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Studio | 1-bedroom | 2-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| South of Market | $3,840 (545) | $4,688 (1,094) | $6,692 (818) |
| Downtown/Civic Center | $2,295 (600) | $3,650 (359) | $5,437 (173) |
| Western Addition | $3,395 (199) | $4,295 (386) | $6,390 (289) |
| Mission | $2,775 (128) | $3,950 (277) | $5,225 (208) |
| Nob Hill | $2,712 (154) | $3,995 (229) | $6,250 (114) |
| Marina | $3,650 (122) | $4,800 (210) | $7,000 (152) |
| Financial District | $4,650 (111) | $5,700 (217) | $7,760 (137) |
| Potrero Hill | $4,130 (83) | $4,812 (136) | $6,706 (157) |
| Pacific Heights | $3,695 (75) | $4,950 (173) | $6,800 (126) |
| Russian Hill | $3,598 (54) | $4,616 (130) | $6,500 (93) |
| Haight Ashbury | $3,250 (53) | $4,098 (134) | $5,695 (128) |
| Castro/Upper Market | $3,245 (38) | $4,295 (120) | $5,950 (105) |
| Noe Valley | $2,985 (30) | $4,000 (87) | $5,995 (88) |
| North Beach | $2,725 (38) | $4,189 (92) | $6,000 (53) |
| Inner Sunset | $2,815 (32) | $3,895 (149) | $4,500 (73) |
| Inner Richmond | $2,895 (38) | $3,500 (137) | $4,800 (142) |
| Outer Richmond | $2,750 (38) | $3,350 (97) | $4,825 (124) |
| Outer Sunset | $2,675 (23) | $3,200 (120) | $4,600 (112) |
Area pages: South of Market, Downtown/Civic Center, Western Addition, Mission, Nob Hill, Marina, Financial District, Potrero Hill, Pacific Heights, Russian Hill, Haight Ashbury, Castro/Upper Market, Noe Valley, North Beach, Inner Sunset, Inner Richmond, Outer Richmond, Outer Sunset.
Median asking rent a month, with the number of units in brackets. Sorted by total units. These neighborhoods cover only part of the city, so they do not add up to the whole-city totals above.
East Bay, South Bay, Peninsula and North Bay cities
| City | Studio | 1-bedroom | 2-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | $2,320 (513) | $2,958 (2,483) | $3,518 (3,067) |
| Oakland | $1,768 (820) | $2,200 (1,972) | $2,800 (1,873) |
| Fremont | $2,154 (76) | $2,728 (640) | $3,248 (994) |
| Berkeley | $2,000 (346) | $2,400 (681) | $3,100 (932) |
| Santa Clara | $3,455 (93) | $3,610 (873) | $4,246 (878) |
| Sunnyvale | $2,500 (80) | $3,447 (725) | $4,073 (882) |
| Mountain View | $2,880 (124) | $3,840 (561) | $4,547 (514) |
| San Mateo | $2,425 (83) | $3,386 (446) | $4,310 (443) |
| Redwood City | $2,225 (76) | $3,650 (435) | $4,754 (448) |
| Hayward | $1,872 (40) | $2,245 (373) | $2,700 (523) |
| Palo Alto | $2,600 (71) | $3,195 (283) | $4,530 (272) |
| Walnut Creek | $2,157 (47) | $2,561 (326) | $3,000 (402) |
| Alameda | $2,701 (53) | $2,498 (272) | $2,800 (341) |
| Daly City | $2,466 (79) | $2,600 (227) | $3,400 (183) |
| Richmond | $1,595 (49) | $1,950 (261) | $2,417 (413) |
| Concord | $1,818 (38) | $1,965 (258) | $2,400 (423) |
| San Rafael | $2,185 (42) | $2,493 (204) | $3,500 (143) |
| Vallejo | $1,349 (59) | $1,729 (300) | $2,193 (484) |
Area pages: San Jose, Oakland, Fremont, Berkeley, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, San Mateo, Redwood City, Hayward, Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, Alameda, Daly City, Richmond, Concord, San Rafael, Vallejo.
Median asking rent a month, with the number of units in brackets. Richmond here is the city in Contra Costa County, not San Francisco's Richmond District.
Before you budget
- Asking rent is the start. Many Bay Area apartments are covered by a rent cap once you live there. Our Bay Area rent control guide lists each city's allowable increase, and our San Francisco rent control guide explains the 1979 cutoff.
- Below-market-rate units. If your income is within the city's limits, a housing lottery may be an option. See how San Francisco housing lotteries work and RentReboot's free list of open San Francisco lotteries.
- Get new listings by alert. RentReboot watches 100+ Bay Area rental sources and sends you the matches by email or text. There is a free plan and optional paid upgrades. Set up Bay Area apartment alerts. To compare the main ways to search, see the best apartment search sites in San Francisco.
Bay Area rent FAQs
What is the average rent for a 1-bedroom in the Bay Area?
The median asking rent for a 1-bedroom was $2,876 a month across 21,764 Bay Area units listed in the 180 days before October 1, 2026. That is an asking rent in listings, not the rent tenants signed.
How much is a 1-bedroom in San Francisco?
The median asking rent for a 1-bedroom in the City of San Francisco was $4,250 a month, from 4,639 units listed in the 180 days before October 1, 2026. Neighborhood medians ranged from $3,200 a month in the Outer Sunset (120 units) to $5,700 a month in the Financial District (217 units), among the neighborhoods in the table above.
Is Oakland cheaper than San Francisco?
In asking rents, yes. Oakland's median 1-bedroom ask was $2,200 a month (1,972 units). San Francisco's was $4,250 a month (4,639 units). Both cover units listed in the 180 days before October 1, 2026.
Where is the cheapest 1-bedroom in the Bay Area?
Of the 114 areas with at least 10 listed 1-bedrooms, the lowest medians were Cherryland at $1,675 a month (13 units), Vallejo at $1,729 (300 units) and Oakley at $1,771 (15 units).
How is this different from the rent people actually pay?
These are asking prices in listings. A signed lease can be higher or lower. We do not see signed leases.
More Bay Area renter guides
- Is My San Francisco Apartment Rent Controlled?: the 1979 cutoff and rent increase limits.
- Which Bay Area Cities Have Rent Control in 2026?: the state cap and each city's allowable increase.
- How Do San Francisco Housing Lotteries Work?: below-market-rate rentals and preferences.
- Bay Area average rents by area
- Bay Area apartment alerts
Data note
RentReboot listing data, read on October 1, 2026. Active listings first listed in the 180 days before that date; one asking price per unit (the most recent); classified-board listings excluded; bedrooms 0 to 3; medians published only where an area and bedroom count has at least 10 units. The September figure ($3,170 a month, 21,780 apartments) covers all tracked Bay Area listings first seen from September 12 to 30, 2026, with room shares excluded.