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Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA

The Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA is $2,827 per month, ranking #12 out of 693 areas nationwide. The area median household income is $102,840, meaning a household spending Fair Market Rent on a 2-bedroom would pay 33% of income on housing. The area has a population of 486K, with 37.8% of households renting.

33%
Rent Burdened
of income → rent
$2,827
2BR Fair Market Rent
vs $1,250 national median
$102,840
Median Income
vs $71,049 national
$2,093
Actual Median Rent
Census ACS estimate
486K
Population
Census ACS
37.8%
Renters
of occupied housing
$779,000
Median Home Value
7.7%
Vacancy Rate
of housing units
8.6%
Poverty Rate
below poverty line

Fair Market Rent by Bedroom Size

$1,949
Studio
$2,155
1 Bedroom
$2,827
2 Bedroom
$3,887
3 Bedroom
$4,147
4 Bedroom

Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are set annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units in an area. FMRs are used to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program and other federal housing assistance.

Housing Affordability

In Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA, a household earning the area median income of $102,840 would spend 33% of their gross income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. HUD considers households spending more than 30% of income on housing to be "cost-burdened." This means many renters in this area face financial strain from housing costs.

Income Needed for 2BR
$113,080
annual (30% threshold)
Hourly Wage Needed
$54
full-time (2,080 hrs/yr)
Actual Median Rent
$2,093
$734 below FMR

Minimum Wage Affordability

The minimum wage in California is $16.50/hr. A minimum-wage worker would need to work 131.8 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding 30% of income on housing. This means a single minimum-wage earner cannot afford a 2-bedroom working a standard 40-hour week. The poverty rate in Santa Rosa-Petaluma is 8.6%, below the national average of approximately 12.4%.

State Min Wage
$16.50/hr
Hours/Week Needed
131.8 hrs
Poverty Rate
8.6%

Housing Market Context

The median home value in Santa Rosa-Petaluma is $779,000. At a median income of $102,840, this represents a price-to-income ratio of 7.6x. 7.7% of housing units in the area are vacant, which is near the national average.

Rent vs. Buy
$5,453 est. mortgage
vs $2,827 FMR rent
Vacancy Rate
7.7%
of housing units

Other Areas in California

Santa Cruz-Watsonville
$4,214/mo
2BR FMR · 46.3% burden
San Francisco
$3,604/mo
2BR FMR · 32.3% burden
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
$3,483/mo
2BR FMR · 26.5% burden
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine
$3,236/mo
2BR FMR · 41.5% burden
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
$3,124/mo
2BR FMR · 39.1% burden

Compare Santa Rosa-Petaluma

vs Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CAvs San Francisco, CAvs San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Areas With Similar Rent to Santa Rosa-Petaluma

Frequently Asked Questions

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA is $2,827 per month. A studio is $1,949/mo, a 1-bedroom is $2,155/mo, and a 3-bedroom is $3,887/mo. The actual median gross rent from Census data is $2,093/mo.

Santa Rosa-Petaluma has a rent burden of 33%, meaning a household earning the median income of $102,840 would spend 33% of income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. HUD considers spending 30%+ on housing to be cost-burdened. To afford a 2-bedroom without being cost-burdened, a household would need an annual income of at least $113,080.

Santa Rosa-Petaluma's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $2,827/mo is $1,577 above the national median of $1,250/mo. Santa Rosa-Petaluma ranks #12 out of 693 areas for highest rent in the United States.

To afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Santa Rosa-Petaluma without spending more than 30% of income on housing, you would need an annual household income of at least $113,080, or a full-time hourly wage of $54/hour. The area median income is $102,840.

Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units. Rent burden is calculated as annual 2BR FMR divided by area median household income. Census data (income, home value, population, vacancy) is from the ACS 5-Year estimates. Unemployment rates are from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.