Section 8 in San Diego, CA: FMR & Landlord Guide
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (CBSA 41740). FY2026 Fair Market Rents, active voucher counts, housing authorities and wait-list status, and source-of-income law. Every figure below links back to its source.
Fair Market Rent by bedroom count
HUD-published metro FMR for FY2026. Payment standards (what a PHA actually pays) are set between 90% and 110% of FMR at PHA discretion.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard (90–110%) |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $2,288 | $2,059 – $2,517 |
| 1-bedroom | $2,459 | $2,213 – $2,705 |
| 2-bedroom | $3,001 | $2,701 – $3,301 |
| 3-bedroom | $3,998 | $3,598 – $4,398 |
| 4-bedroom | $4,845 | $4,361 – $5,330 |
Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in San Diego, CA covers up to $3,001 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $2,701–$3,301.
Voucher demand in this metro
Aggregated from HUD Public Housing Authority data (FY2026). High utilization means voucher holders are placed and reliably paying rent, a stable but competitive tenant pool for accepting landlords.
Housing authorities serving San Diego, CA
6 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Contact the PHA that covers the specific address you’re considering.
- Status unknown
San Diego Housing Commission
San Diego, CA · CA063 · 16,368 HCV units
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the County of San Diego
San Diego, CA · CA108 · 12,507 HCV units
- Status unknown
City of Oceanside Community Development Comm
Oceanside, CA · CA132 · 1,600 HCV units
- Status unknown
CDC of National City
National City, CA · CA116 · 1,131 HCV units
- Status unknown
Carlsbad Housing & Homeless Services
Carlsbad, CA · CA077 · 756 HCV units
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the City of Encinitas
Encinitas, CA · CA155 · 141 HCV units
Source-of-income law in CA
CA state law prohibits landlords from refusing to rent to Section 8 voucher holders on the basis of their source of income.
FEHA (SB 329) · view statute →
Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change; verify current status before making a leasing decision.
Analyze a specific San Diego, CA property
Look up the address’s SAFMR (ZIP-level rent), plug the numbers into the voucher-vs-market analyzer, and check the HQS pre-inspection list before scheduling.