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Average Rent in El Cajon, CA & Rent Trends

What is the average rent in El Cajon, CA?

The average listed apartment rent in El Cajon, CA is $2,576 per month, as of October 20, 2026. This sample includes 205 priced apartments in 33 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

We use published total monthly rent when known and base rent otherwise. Unknown fees remain unknown. Included building observations run from October 17, 2026 through October 20, 2026. Buildings without a qualifying price do not count in this sample. The guide directory can include more buildings.

Rent prices and market trends across 33 apartment communities in El Cajon, CA. Prices update after successful source checks.

Area All Areas
El Cajon 92019 92020 92021
Beds All Bedrooms 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed

Showing any bedrooms in El Cajon, CA.

Market Average

$2,576/mo

Lowest Available

$1,300/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

33

tracked daily

Units Listed

205

available now

Rent Watch: cuts and increases

Open Rent Watch →

28 cuts and 1 increases among 59 comparable listings this week. Filter by bedrooms and budget, then inspect each building’s history.

Rent by Neighborhood in El Cajon, CA

Compare average rent across El Cajon, CA neighborhoods. Click any area to see detailed trends.

Neighborhood Avg Rent 30d Change From Properties Units
El Cajon 92021 $2,839 ▲  $1,001 $1,300 9 35
El Cajon 92020 $2,536 ▲  $626 $1,695 19 93
El Cajon 92019 $2,501 ▲  $354 $1,700 5 74

Is Rent Going Up or Down in El Cajon, CA?

As of October 2026, the average rent in El Cajon, CA is $2,576 per month across 33 apartment communities and 205 available units.

The most affordable option is Cabo Verde Apartments starting at $1,300/mo. By unit type, a 1-bedroom averages $2,302/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $2,725/mo, a 3-bedroom averages $3,292/mo.

Prices range from $1,300 to $6,896 per month. The most common price point is the $2,200 range, where 57 units are currently listed.

El Cajon, CA Rent Price History

Timeframe
View as table
Month Avg Rent Change Properties
June 2026 $2,162 - 13
July 2026 $2,212 +$50 16
August 2026 $2,225 +$13 16
September 2026 $2,192 -$33 21
October 2026 $2,607 +$415 30

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in El Cajon, CA

1 Bed
$2,302
from $1,300 · 84 units
2 Bed
$2,725
from $1,995 · 112 units
3 Bed
$3,292
from $2,596 · 9 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in El Cajon, CA

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
Cabo Verde Apartments $1,300/mo $1,300/mo 1 3.8
Sun Valley Gardens in El Cajon $1,695/mo $2,049/mo 4 3
Casa Miguel Apartments $1,700/mo $1,933/mo 3 3.8
Majestic Apartments-El Cajon $1,725/mo $1,948/mo 3 3.5
Village Green $1,725/mo $1,725/mo 1 4.3
Terre at 1037 Peach Apartments $1,741/mo $2,946/mo 2 4.3
The Arches Apartments $1,750/mo $2,129/mo 13 4.7

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in El Cajon, CA

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

Scroll or tap to choose.
Any bedrooms

What is the average rent in El Cajon, CA?
The average listed apartment rent in El Cajon, CA is $2,576 per month, as of October 20, 2026. This sample includes 205 priced apartments in 33 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

What rent range can I find in El Cajon, CA?
The apartment listings we track in El Cajon, CA range from $1,300 to $6,896 per month, as of October 20, 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in El Cajon, CA?
There is not enough comparable history to report a reliable 30-day rent change for apartment listings in El Cajon, CA. Missing dates or a change in the buildings we track can prevent a comparison. Missing history does not mean rents stayed flat.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in El Cajon, CA?
1-bedroom apartments average $2,302 per month across 84 priced listings in El Cajon, CA. Listed rents range from $1,300 to $5,110 per month, as of October 20, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in El Cajon, CA?
2-bedroom apartments average $2,725 per month across 112 priced listings in El Cajon, CA. Listed rents range from $1,995 to $6,329 per month, as of October 20, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 3-bedroom apartment in El Cajon, CA?
3-bedroom apartments average $3,292 per month across 9 priced listings in El Cajon, CA. Listed rents range from $2,596 to $6,896 per month, as of October 20, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How do 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom rents compare in El Cajon, CA?
The 1-bedroom average is $2,302 per month across 84 listings. The 2-bedroom average is $2,725 across 112 listings, $423 (18.4%) higher. This is a comparison of listing groups, not the cost to upgrade a specific apartment.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in El Cajon, CA?
Cabo Verde Apartments has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $1,300 per month. We track 1 priced listing matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of October 20, 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

Which rent range has the most listings in El Cajon, CA?
The $2,200 to $2,400 monthly range has the most matching listings: 57 units, or 27.8% of the priced apartments we track in El Cajon, CA. This count does not tell us how fast the apartments rent.

How many apartment listings do you track in El Cajon, CA?
We track 205 priced units at 33 apartment buildings, as of October 20, 2026. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for El Cajon, CA?
We have recorded rent data on 101 days from June 2026 through October 2026 for apartment listings in El Cajon, CA. Some dates can be missing. The chart only shows recorded data. The current month includes the days recorded so far.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in El Cajon, CA?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the El Cajon, CA rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was October 20, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in El Cajon, CA?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$103,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $2,576/mo.

Comfortable income

$124,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($1,300/mo), you need to earn at least $52,000/year.

Median household income in El Cajon, CA is $66,478 , about 46% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore El Cajon, CA Apartments

Browse all 33 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

Browse All Apartments Find Your Match

Cost of living in El Cajon, CA

Overall prices in El Cajon, CA runs above the national average by about 11% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 110.7, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by El Cajon, CA's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $2,576
Utilities $799
Groceries $552
Transportation $1,904
Healthcare $929
Other goods and services $1,486
Estimated total $8,246/mo

Population

104,909

Median household income

$66,478

Census median rent

$1,790/mo

Census rent burden

41.0%

Median age

35.5

Mean commute

25 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
California Rent Trends
Compare rent across all California cities
Explore El Cajon, CA on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how El Cajon, CA rents stack up against the national median

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