Southern California has emerged as the most expensive region for renters in the United States, according to a new analysis by Apartment List. The firm compared three-month average rents from August to October 2025 across 610 cities and found that 38 of the 50 priciest rental markets were located in California—17 of them in Southern California alone.
Among these, Newport Beach ranked as the most expensive in the region and the third costliest nationwide, with an average monthly rent of $3,360. That figure marks a 24% increase from six years ago, placing it 18th among the 50 cities for largest rent gains.
Nationally, Hoboken, New Jersey, topped the list at $3,601 per month, up 23% from six years earlier. San Mateo, California, in the Bay Area ranked second with $3,521, reflecting an 8% rise.
Other high-rent Southern California cities include Lake Forest ($3,216, 8th nationwide), Irvine ($3,090, 10th), Aliso Viejo ($2,998, 17th), Laguna Niguel ($2,990, 18th), and Culver City ($2,942, 20th). Several Orange County communities saw especially sharp increases: rents in Aliso Viejo have soared 40% over six years, the fastest growth rate among the 50 most expensive cities. Irvine rents climbed 29% in the same period.
Other nearby areas also made the top 20, including Mission Viejo ($2,929), Thousand Oaks ($2,893), Chino Hills ($2,871), and Simi Valley. Chino Hills rents rose 32% over the past six years.
Further down the list, Rancho Santa Margarita ($2,723), Camarillo ($2,616), Costa Mesa ($2,603), Brea ($2,552), Huntington Beach ($2,542), Pasadena ($2,527), and Orange ($2,515) all placed within the nation’s top 50 rental markets.
By comparison, Los Angeles City averaged $2,095 in rent during the same period, placing it well below most neighboring cities on the list.
BY HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
