Average Rent in Oakland, CA (2026)

Typical asking rent in Oakland is $2,639. Across the 13 ZIP codes with data it runs from $2,235 to $2,956, so which side of town you buy on matters as much as the city average. Data as of July 2026.

Median rent
$2,639
Average rent
$2,592
Lowest ZIP
$2,235
Highest ZIP
$2,956

Rent by ZIP code in Oakland

ZIP codeCountyTypical rentvs city median
94612Alameda County$2,956+12%
94609Alameda County$2,766+5%
94618Alameda County$2,749+4%
94602Alameda County$2,734+4%
94607Alameda County$2,716+3%
94705Alameda County$2,672+1%
94605Alameda County$2,6390%
94619Alameda County$2,549-3%
94621Alameda County$2,465-7%
94606Alameda County$2,451-7%
94603Alameda County$2,421-8%
94610Alameda County$2,346-11%
94601Alameda County$2,235-15%

Rent by bedroom count in Oakland

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 Alameda 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.

Unit sizeFY2027 Fair Market RentChange from FY2026
Studio$2,088-2.5%
1 bedroom$2,290-4.0%
2 bedroom$2,805-3.7%
3 bedroom$3,592-3.5%
4 bedroom$4,250-3.7%

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents. Updates when HUD publishes a new fiscal year.

Is rent going up or down in Oakland?

Typical rent across Alameda County is $2,948 as of August 2026. That is up 6.7% from a year earlier and up 15.0% over five years. The Oakland rent report compares these rents with Section 8 voucher rents ZIP by ZIP.

YearTypical rent, Alameda CountyChange
2021$2,625+5.0%
2022$2,700+2.8%
2023$2,690-0.4%
2024$2,714+0.9%
2025$2,797+3.0%
2026 (through August)$2,948+5.4%

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.

Oakland rent questions

What is the average rent in Oakland, CA?
Typical asking rent in Oakland is $2,639 a month as of July 2026, across 13 ZIP codes. By ZIP code it runs from $2,235 to $2,956.
How much is rent for a 2 bedroom in Oakland?
HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom in Alameda County is $2,805 a month including utilities. A one bedroom is $2,290 and a three bedroom is $3,592. Fair Market Rent is set near the 40th percentile, so a typical unit lists somewhat higher.
Is rent going up or down in Oakland?
Rent is rising. Typical rent in Alameda County is $2,948 as of August 2026, up 6.7% from a year earlier.
What is the cheapest ZIP code to rent in Oakland?
ZIP 94601 has the lowest typical asking rent in Oakland at $2,235 a month, compared with $2,639 for the city overall.
How much income do you need to rent in Oakland?
Most landlords look for gross income of about three times the rent. At the typical Oakland rent of $2,639, that is about $7,917 a month, or $95,004 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. Oakland sits in the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA metro area.

Other California cities

Would a rental in Oakland cash flow?

Start the analyzer with the Oakland median rent of $2,639 and add a real purchase price to see cash flow, cap rate, and cash-on-cash return.