When choosing where to live in Fresno, several factors can shape your decision — including your proximity to grocery stores, pharmacies and schools.
Another key aspect to consider is cost.
Rental prices can vary significantly depending on the area you are planning to live.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition recently calculated how much renters need to earn to afford a “modest” two-bedroom apartment in communities across the United States based on fair-market rent and utility data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A drone image from 2020 shows a large apartment complex in north Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com How much of my income should I spend on rent:
According to the 30% rent rule, you should spend no more than 30% of your gross income on housing costs, leaving the rest of your paycheck for food, transportation, utilities, savings and other expenses.
Federal housing affordability guidelines use 30% of household income as a measure of whether housing costs are affordable.
“Housing, groceries, gas and other everyday essentials have all steadily increased at a faster pace than the average income,” Realtor.com said in a June 17 report.
The real estate site said the 30% rule should be treated as a starting point — not “a hard-and-fast guideline.”
Christy Hall, right, and her 14-year-old daughter, Ivorie, take a break from unpacking after moving into their new two-bedroom apartment at Parc Grove Commons in Fresno in April 2011. JOHN WALKER jwalker@fresnobee.com How expensive is California for renters?
California was the most expensive state for renters in the United States in 2026, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach report.
About 44% of California residents are renters, according to the coalition.
The Golden State had more than 5.9 million renter households in 2024.
To afford a two-bedroom apartment in California, you would need an income of $52.79 per hour.
People earning minimum wage in California — $16.90 per hour — need to work 102 hours every week to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in California. That translates to 14.5 hours a day for a 40-hour work week.
In California, fair-market rent for a one-bedroom apartment costs $2,237 a month, while a two-bedroom apartment costs $2,745 monthly.
To afford rent and utilities on a two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30% of your income on housing, you’ll have to make $109,812 in annual income, according to the study.
The old Hotel Fresno in downtown Fresno, built in 1913, is undergoing renovations to convert it into an 81-unit building of affordable apartments. CRAIG KOHLRUSS Fresno Bee file photo How much do I need to earn to afford rent in Fresno?
The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s database allows renters to search by ZIP code to see how much they would need to earn to afford a modest two-bedroom rental while keeping housing costs at or below 30% of household income.
Fresno had a total of 144,331 renter households in 2026, accounting for 44% of the population.
To afford rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment or house in Fresno, you would need to earn $32 per hour, the coalition found.
You’d need to make $26.06 an hour to afford a one-bedroom rental in Fresno.
Fair-market rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Fresno cost $1,355 a month, while it cost $1,664 per month to rent for a two-bedroom apartment.
To afford a one-bedroom apartment in Fresno, you would need an annual income of $54,200, while a two-bedroom apartment requires $66,560 per year.
According to rental website apartments.com, the average cost of renting a two-bedroom apartment in Fresno is $1,520 per month.
A “For Rent” sign in southeast Fresno. The Fresno Bee File Photo What is Fresno’s most affordable ZIP code?
According to the housing coalition’s database, the 93701 ZIP code in downtown Fresno is the most affordable in the city.
You’d need to earn $26.21 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment.
On the other end of the spectrum, the 92723 ZIP code is one of the most expensive areas in Fresno, requiring an hourly wage of $48.08 to afford a two-bedroom apartment.
In the northern section of the city, you can afford a two-bedroom apartment in the ZIP code 93710 by earning at least $30.17 per hour.
In the 93706 ZIP code in southern Fresno, the hourly wage needed drops to $26.92.
According to the coalition’s analysis of Fresno ZIP code, hourly wages needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment range from $26 to $48, depending on the specific area.
You can check how much you’ll need to afford a two-bedroom rental in the Fresno area by visiting nlihc.org/oor and entering your ZIP code.
How did low income housing group compare ZIP codes?
To determine rental costs across the United States, the National Low Income Housing Coalition focused on the housing wage.
This estimates how much a full-time worker must earn hourly to afford a rental home at HUD’s fair market rent without spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs.
It’s “the most widely accepted standard of affordability,” the coalition said.
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Gagandeep Singh is a service journalism reporter for The Fresno Bee. He holds a master’s degree in politics and global affairs from Columbia University. Prior to working at The Bee, he worked as a freelancer for CalMatters, BBC News and the Los Angeles Times. He focuses on migration, education, criminal justice and the South Asian diaspora in California.