Rent by ZIP code in El Cajon
| ZIP code | County | Typical rent | vs city median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92019 | San Diego County | $2,704 | +24% |
| 92020 | San Diego County | $2,178 | 0% |
| 92021 | San Diego County | $2,126 | -2% |
Rent by bedroom count in El Cajon
Zillow's index above blends every unit size into one number. For a bedroom level view, these are HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents for San Diego County. They include utilities and sit near the 40th percentile of the market, so treat them as the low side of what a typical unit lists for. San Diego County uses Small Area FMRs, and the two bedroom figure runs from $2,440 to $2,840 depending on the El Cajon ZIP code.
| Unit size | FY2027 Fair Market Rent | Change from FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,192 | -4.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,335 | -5.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,823 | -5.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,743 | -6.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $4,526 | -6.6% |
Source: HUD Fair Market Rents. Updates when HUD publishes a new fiscal year.
Is rent going up or down in El Cajon?
Typical rent across San Diego County is $2,994 as of August 2026. That is up 2.2% from a year earlier and up 26.1% over five years. The El Cajon rent report compares these rents with Section 8 voucher rents ZIP by ZIP.
| Year | Typical rent, San Diego County | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $2,524 | +16.9% |
| 2022 | $2,765 | +9.5% |
| 2023 | $2,843 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $2,910 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $2,946 | +1.2% |
| 2026 (through August) | $2,994 | +1.6% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index for the county, all home types, last published month of each year. Each row is compared with the end of the year before it.
El Cajon rent questions
- What is the average rent in El Cajon, CA?
- Typical asking rent in El Cajon is $2,178 a month as of July 2026, across 3 ZIP codes. By ZIP code it runs from $2,126 to $2,704.
- How much is rent for a 2 bedroom in El Cajon?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom in San Diego County is $2,823 a month including utilities. A one bedroom is $2,335 and a three bedroom is $3,743. Fair Market Rent is set near the 40th percentile, so a typical unit lists somewhat higher.
- Is rent going up or down in El Cajon?
- Rent is rising. Typical rent in San Diego County is $2,994 as of August 2026, up 2.2% from a year earlier.
- What is the cheapest ZIP code to rent in El Cajon?
- ZIP 92021 has the lowest typical asking rent in El Cajon at $2,126 a month, compared with $2,178 for the city overall.
- How much income do you need to rent in El Cajon?
- Most landlords look for gross income of about three times the rent. At the typical El Cajon rent of $2,178, that is about $6,534 a month, or $78,408 a year. This is a common screening rule of thumb, and individual landlords set their own.
How to use these numbers
These are Zillow Observed Rent Index values, a smoothed measure of typical asking rent for single family homes, condos, and apartments in each ZIP code. They describe what units are listed for, not what any specific unit will get. Condition, bedroom count, and the exact block all move the number.
If you are underwriting a purchase, use the ZIP figure rather than the city median, and then verify against live listings for the same bedroom count before you commit. El Cajon sits in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area.