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Living here
Average rent in Imperial Beach
What renters actually pay, by number of bedrooms, and how Imperial Beach compares with California and the US.
Median rent
$1,914/mo
42% above US
1 bedroom
$1,722/mo
46% above US
2 bedrooms
$1,957/mo
46% above US
Renters paying 30%+ of income
63%
US 50%
Renter households
6,454
Rent by number of bedrooms
Studio$1,669a month41% above USIncome needed: $66,760/yr
1 bedroom$1,722a month46% above USIncome needed: $68,880/yr
2 bedrooms$1,957a month46% above USIncome needed: $78,280/yr
3 bedrooms$2,359a month57% above USIncome needed: $94,360/yr
4 bedrooms$3,255a month75% above USIncome needed: $130,200/yr
Median gross rent (contract rent plus utilities) for occupied rental units, by bedrooms. Income needed uses the 30% rule.
How Imperial Beach compares
- Imperial Beach$1,669
- California$1,531
- United States$1,185
- Imperial Beach$1,722
- California$1,709
- United States$1,180
- Imperial Beach$1,957
- California$2,014
- United States$1,338
- Imperial Beach$2,359
- California$2,262
- United States$1,500
Two-bedroom rent in nearby cities
- Imperial Beach$1,957
- Coronado$3,294
- Lemon Grove$1,846
- La Mesa$2,105
- El Cajon$1,859
- San Diego$2,348
- Solana Beach$3,292
- Carlsbad$2,612
- Fallbrook$1,696
- Imperial Beach63%
- Coronado59%
- Lemon Grove63%
- La Mesa62%
- El Cajon71%
- San Diego54%
- Solana Beach54%
- Carlsbad57%
- Fallbrook61%
Nearby cities are other Local City Network guides in California, nearest first.
What rent can you afford?
$
At 30% of income you can spend about $1,957 a month.
- Studio $1,669
- 1 bedroom $1,722
- 2 bedrooms $1,957
- 3 bedrooms $2,359
- 4 bedrooms $3,255
Green means the median Imperial Beach rent for that size fits your budget. Landlords often ask for income of 2.5–3× the monthly rent.
How stretched are renters?
63% of Imperial Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 30% spend half or more. The typical renter household puts 34.6% of its income toward rent (US: 50% and 25%).
HUD fair market rents
Studio$2,192
1 bedroom$2,335
2 bedrooms$2,823
3 bedrooms$3,743
4 bedrooms$4,526
HUD’s 2027 fair market rents for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA are the payment benchmarks for housing vouchers (about the 40th percentile of recent movers’ rents), so they often differ from the medians above.
More on living in Imperial Beach
Neighborhoods of Imperial Beach
See Imperial Beach
Questions
What is the average rent in Imperial Beach?
The median gross rent (rent plus utilities) is $1,914 a month, 2% below the California median and 42% above the national median.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Imperial Beach?
The median one-bedroom rents for $1,722 a month (US: $1,180).
How much is a two-bedroom in Imperial Beach?
The median two-bedroom rents for $1,957 a month (US: $1,338).
How much do you need to make to rent in Imperial Beach?
Using the common 30% rule, a median two-bedroom ($1,957) takes a household income of about $78,280 a year, and a one-bedroom about $68,880.
Is rent affordable in Imperial Beach?
About 63% of Imperial Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 30% spend at least half (US: 50% and 25%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables B25031, B25070 and B25071). Estimates have margins of error; figures are in 2023 dollars.