Salinas, CA: 2-bedroom payment standards across 31 ZIP codes

HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents for Salinas, CA MSA range from $2,690 to $3,790 for a 2-bedroom. The 90th-percentile ZIP code runs 1.30× the 10th — a gap of $820 a month — which ranks 165th widest of the 247 HUD metro areas we compare.

ZIP-level standards are optional here. Salinas, CA is not one of HUD's 65 designated Small Area FMR areas, so a housing authority may set one payment standard for the whole area, or adopt ZIP-level exception standards of up to 110% of a ZIP's published SAFMR. Where a single area-wide standard is used, the 9 ZIP codes below marked "above 110%" sit above the highest ceiling that basic policy reaches. Confirm what applies with the PHA that issued the voucher.
$2,690

median 2-bedroom SAFMR across the area's 31 ZIP codes. Where a housing authority sets a single metro-wide standard, it could reach $2,959 at 110%.

$820

monthly gap between the 90th- and 10th-percentile ZIP code ($2,690 to $3,510).

29.0%

of the area's ZIP codes (9 of 31) sit above $2,959 — 110% of the area median.

Highest-rent ZIP codes in Salinas, CA

93921$3,79093950$3,56093908$3,51093953$3,51093962$3,51093944$3,33093940$3,21093923$3,04093924$2,97093943$2,84093955$2,83093907$2,82093906$2,78093450$2,69093901$2,69093902$2,69093905$2,69093912$2,69093915$2,69093920$2,69093922$2,69093926$2,69093927$2,69093928$2,69093932$2,690area median $2,690
2 BR Small Area FMR area median across all 31 ZIPs

Every ZIP code, ranked

The payment-standard column is HUD's published 90–110% band for that ZIP code — the range a housing authority may adopt without HUD approval. Your PHA sets the exact figure. The final column compares each ZIP to the area median; ZIP codes marked above 110% exceed 110% of that median — where a housing authority sets a single area-wide standard, those sit above the highest ceiling basic policy reaches.

Showing 31 of 31 ZIP codes
# ZIP code 2 BR SAFMR Payment standard (90–110%) vs area median
193921$3,790$3,411–$4,169above 110%
293950$3,560$3,204–$3,916above 110%
393908$3,510$3,159–$3,861above 110%
493953$3,510$3,159–$3,861above 110%
593962$3,510$3,159–$3,861above 110%
693944$3,330$2,997–$3,663above 110%
793940$3,210$2,889–$3,531above 110%
893923$3,040$2,736–$3,344above 110%
993924$2,970$2,673–$3,267above 110%
1093943$2,840$2,556–$3,124106%
1193955$2,830$2,547–$3,113105%
1293907$2,820$2,538–$3,102105%
1393906$2,780$2,502–$3,058103%
1493450$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
1593901$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
1693902$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
1793905$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
1893912$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
1993915$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2093920$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2193922$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2293926$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2393927$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2493928$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2593932$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2693933$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2793942$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2893954$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
2993960$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
3095012$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
3195039$2,690$2,421–$2,959100%
Heads up: The figure above is the HUD Fair Market Rent. Your local Public Housing Authority (PHA) sets the actual payment standard — usually between 90% and 110% of it — so confirm your exact amount with the PHA that issued the voucher.

How Salinas, CA compares

Its internal spread of 1.30× (p90 ÷ p10) ranks 165 of 247 HUD metro FMR areas, against a median of 1.37× and a national high of 1.77×. On the steadier p75 ÷ p25 measure it is 1.12×. Note that this area's 90th or 10th percentile lands exactly on its highest or lowest ZIP code, so a single ZIP is carrying the p90/p10 figure — the p75/p25 measure is the better read here. See the full ranking and how it was measured →

A note on what this does not mean: a higher payment standard does not increase the assistance a household receives. It raises the ceiling on the rent a voucher can cover, while the household still pays roughly 30% of adjusted income. Figures are ZIP-weighted, not renter-weighted, and rest on 2019–2023 American Community Survey data trended forward.

This page shows official HUD Fair Market Rent data for general educational use — it is not legal, financial, or housing advice, and is not a guarantee of any voucher amount. Your local Public Housing Authority sets the actual payment standard and approves rents. Always confirm with your PHA and the official HUD FMR data.

Check a rent against a ZIP code → All 247 metro areas →