Just two years ago, San Diego was the “Most Expensive City in the United States,” according to U.S. News & World Report. Happily, the city has slipped out of the Top 10 – but according to the criteria “median monthly rent,” it still costs a pretty penny to live here.
USN&WR says median monthly rent in San Diego is $2,284. Average rent is $2,800, with a studio going for $1,995 and a two-bedroom apartment demanding an average of $2,845, according to Zillow.
An unofficial survey by The Sun in downtown San Diego found residents are generally paying higher than the average.
Samantha Keane splits the $4,000 rent evenly with a roommate for a two-bed, two-bath apartment in Cortez Hill.
Similarly, Gabi and Austin Hensley share the $4,200 cost of their two-bed two-bath (office included) space in Little Italy.
East Village resident Emily Roberts has been living in a two-bed two-bath apartment since November that’s valued at $4,000. However, she and a roommate split the $2,800 rent.
“I work for a property management company so I get a discount,” Roberts says. “We get a 30% discount, or else I wouldn’t be able to afford it.”
Yani Gershon also lives in a two-bed two-bath apartment with a roommate in East Village, but is responsible for covering the $4,100 by himself. Gershon has been living in the same apartment for the last two years, sticking around for the price consistency.
“It’s been pretty flat, surprisingly,” he says. “It is [hard to find,] that’s why I haven’t left.”
Little Italy resident Elizabeth (last name withheld) spends $2,900 for her half of a two-bed two-bath unit in Little Italy. She’s motivated to stay because of the neighborhood, even though her rent has increased by at least $50 each year.
“The Farmers Market is amazing; walking distance,” she says. “It’s safe, I have a lot of friends in the area.”
For East Village resident Jessy Zaragoza, the neighborhood is also what makes his $1,680 one-bed one-bath worth it, especially the walkability.
“I can get to the trolley in five minutes and I can get to the store in 10 minutes,” Zaragoza says. “You don’t even need a car down here.”
Columbia District resident Peter Palkovic recently saw a $50 increase for the first time since moving in seven years ago.
“It’s $627 for just one room and I have, I call it a water closet,” Palkovic says. “It’s just a small room with a sink and a medicine cabinet so I can shave,” Palkovic says. “But, on the [building] floor, there’s four bathrooms.”
Palkovic’s single-room-occupancy unit, owned by the San Diego Housing Commission, qualifies as affordable housing.
“I’m retired,” Palkovic says. “I’m not making that much money and I have been out of work for a long time so…they give you a discount if you make [under] a certain amount. They check every year.”
The San Diego Housing Federation estimates the County of San Diego lacks more than 130,000 affordable units. SDSun
