Renters in nine Southern California cities are still facing rising housing costs, even as the broader rental market in the region shows signs of easing. Data from rental platform Zumper indicates that median asking rents for both one- and two-bedroom apartments increased year-over-year in only nine out of 41 analyzed markets within the Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas.
The cities where rents continue to climb include Carlsbad, Corona, Downey, Oceanside, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Marcos, Torrance, and Vista. In these locations, one-bedroom listings saw average price increases of approximately 2.6%, bringing the median rent to about $2,040 per month. Two-bedroom listings experienced an average rise of 4.7%, with median rents reaching around $2,700.
San Marcos recorded the most significant increase for one-bedroom apartments, with a 9.5% surge to $2,430, and its two-bedroom rent climbed 7.2% to $2,990. For renters seeking two-bedroom units, San Bernardino saw the steepest jump at 8.1%, reaching a median of $2,000, followed by Corona with a 7.9% increase to $2,590.
In contrast, most of the region is experiencing a cooling rental market. At least one category of rental unit saw prices decline in 29 of the 41 cities studied. Lancaster experienced the sharpest drop in one-bedroom rents, falling 11.9% to $1,560. Redondo Beach saw a 7.4% decrease to $2,500, and Coronado's rents dropped 6.7% to $4,200.
For two-bedroom apartments, Oxnard offered the most significant relief, with prices falling 9.5% to $2,770. Los Angeles saw a 6.9% decrease to $2,970, and Glendale experienced a 6.6% drop to $2,710.
Anaheim, Long Beach, and Hawthorne reported mixed results, with one rental size showing a stable price and the other increasing.
Zumper attributes the divergent trends to apartment supply dynamics. Areas with abundant inventory tend to give renters more leverage, while markets with high demand and low supply see prices firming up. Despite the increases in certain Southern California cities, rents remain considerably lower than in San Francisco, where one-bedroom rents have surged 22.9% to $4,180 and two-bedroom rents have jumped 25.9% to $6,020, according to Zumper's national report. The data reflects active rental listings from July.