Southern California rentals vs the Nation, August 2025
Southern California continues to outprice the national median. The national index is flat, while coastal markets remain premium and inland markets act as the affordability valve. Below is a clean comparison and a subregion deep dive with charts you can drop into an owner update.
Executive summary
- National median rent is 1,402, down 0.8 percent year over year.
- Southern California prices sit well above the national level. Orange, San Diego, Ventura, and Los Angeles lead, Riverside remains the value anchor.
- Momentum is modest, growth is generally single digits through 2026 based on current forecasts.
Level set
Figure 1
United States shown for context in light gray, Southern California subregions in brand red.
Changes, month and year
Figure 2
Year over year shown in red, month over month in near black.
Subregion detail
Los Angeles
Citywide median 2,089, down 0.1 percent month over month, down 0.9 percent year over year. Prime neighborhoods clear faster than secondary stock. Pricing discipline matters, use micro comps rather than county averages.
Orange County, City of Orange as proxy
Overall median 2,500, down 0.7 percent month over month, up 0.3 percent year over year. Irvine, Newport Beach, and coastal pockets clear higher than the city proxy.
San Diego
Overall median 2,318, flat month over month, down 0.4 percent year over year. Class A holds value, concessions are targeted and time bound.
Riverside
Overall median 1,818, down 0.5 percent month over month, up 1.0 percent year over year. Price sensitive demand responds to visible concessions more than headline cuts.
Ventura
Overall median 2,242, up 1.7 percent month over month, up 3.0 percent year over year. Tight coastal inventory and LA spillover support firmer gains.
Quick table
| Area | Median, dollars | MoM, percent | YoY, percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $1,402 | 0.0% | -0.8% |
| Los Angeles | $2,089 | -0.1% | -0.9% |
| Orange (City) | $2,500 | -0.7% | 0.3% |
| San Diego | $2,318 | 0.0% | -0.4% |
| Riverside | $1,818 | -0.5% | 1.0% |
| Ventura | $2,242 | 1.7% | 3.0% |
Method note
Use one series consistently when setting price, then sanity check with a second source for direction only. City medians can differ from neighborhood and unit type medians, so match your comp set carefully.
