August 2026 · CA
California
Current published state margins from the monthly report. District pages for California are listed below.
August 2026 median household renter margin -$1,282 per month.
In August 2026, the renter margin in California is highest for the Senior couple 65+ group at -$771 per month and lowest for the Two Social Security group at -$5,080. The median household renter margin here is -$1,282, compared with a national figure of -$959.
Monthly margins by income group
| Income group | Renter | Owner blended | Owner with mortgage | Owner paid off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One adult | -$3,260 | -$2,815 | -$3,484 | -$1,311 |
| Two adults | -$2,565 | -$2,120 | -$2,789 | -$616 |
| Median household | -$1,282 | -$838 | -$1,506 | +$666 |
| Senior 65+ | -$871 | -$426 | -$1,095 | +$1,077 |
| Senior couple 65+ | -$771 | -$326 | -$995 | +$1,178 |
| Social Security | -$4,036 | -$3,592 | -$4,260 | -$2,088 |
| Two Social Security | -$5,080 | -$4,636 | -$5,304 | -$3,132 |
California on the map
California across published months
Median household renter margin changed by -$20 from July 2026 to August 2026. Both figures are the published monthly values.
| Edition | Median renter margin | Dated report |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | -$1,282 | August 2026 dated page |
| July 2026 | -$1,262 | July 2026 dated page |
| June 2026 | -$1,260 | June 2026 dated page |
Districts in California
Median household margins for each congressional district in California, August 2026. Each district page shows every income group, the change from the prior month, and past editions.
| District | Representative | Renter | Owner blended |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA-1 | James Gallagher | -$1,677 | -$1,416 |
| CA-2 | Jared Huffman | -$1,401 | -$601 |
| CA-3 | Kevin Kiley | -$588 | -$268 |
| CA-4 | Mike Thompson | -$1,223 | -$658 |
| CA-5 | Tom McClintock | -$930 | -$677 |
| CA-6 | Ami Bera | -$1,159 | -$977 |
| CA-7 | Doris O. Matsui | -$885 | -$603 |
| CA-8 | John Garamendi | -$997 | -$779 |
| CA-9 | Josh Harder | -$1,085 | -$855 |
| CA-10 | Mark DeSaulnier | +$1,212 | +$1,164 |
| CA-11 | Nancy Pelosi | -$287 | +$627 |
| CA-12 | Lateefah Simon | -$491 | -$720 |
| CA-13 | Adam Gray | -$1,991 | -$1,584 |
| CA-14 | Aisha Wahab | +$721 | +$872 |
| CA-15 | Kevin Mullin | +$335 | +$979 |
| CA-16 | Sam T. Liccardo | +$1,333 | +$1,696 |
| CA-17 | Ro Khanna | +$1,974 | +$2,533 |
| CA-18 | Zoe Lofgren | -$1,363 | -$712 |
| CA-19 | Jimmy Panetta | -$440 | +$242 |
| CA-20 | Vince Fong | -$875 | -$760 |
| CA-21 | Jim Costa | -$2,035 | -$1,727 |
| CA-22 | David G. Valadao | -$2,376 | -$2,042 |
| CA-23 | Jay Obernolte | -$1,788 | -$1,361 |
| CA-24 | Salud O. Carbajal | -$1,691 | -$664 |
| CA-25 | Raul Ruiz | -$2,264 | -$1,686 |
| CA-26 | Julia Brownley | -$648 | -$229 |
| CA-27 | George Whitesides | -$1,081 | -$742 |
| CA-28 | Judy Chu | -$992 | -$527 |
| CA-29 | Luz M. Rivas | -$2,234 | -$2,058 |
| CA-30 | Laura Friedman | -$1,562 | -$1,792 |
| CA-31 | Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. | -$1,543 | -$989 |
| CA-32 | Brad Sherman | -$769 | -$1,148 |
| CA-33 | Pete Aguilar | -$1,607 | -$1,124 |
| CA-34 | Jimmy Gomez | -$2,654 | -$2,547 |
| CA-35 | Norma J. Torres | -$1,627 | -$1,002 |
| CA-36 | Ted Lieu | -$294 | -$150 |
| CA-37 | Sydney Kamlager-Dove | -$2,566 | -$2,404 |
| CA-38 | Linda T. Sánchez | -$1,272 | -$683 |
| CA-39 | Mark Takano | -$1,409 | -$845 |
| CA-40 | Young Kim | +$44 | +$531 |
| CA-41 | Ken Calvert | -$1,019 | -$576 |
| CA-42 | Robert Garcia | -$1,748 | -$1,603 |
| CA-43 | Maxine Waters | -$2,216 | -$1,882 |
| CA-44 | Nanette Diaz Barragán | -$1,678 | -$1,298 |
| CA-45 | Derek Tran | -$1,028 | -$383 |
| CA-46 | J. Luis Correa | -$1,770 | -$1,131 |
| CA-47 | Dave Min | -$451 | +$183 |
| CA-48 | Darrell Issa | -$505 | -$318 |
| CA-49 | Mike Levin | -$715 | -$105 |
| CA-50 | Scott H. Peters | -$489 | -$336 |
| CA-51 | Sara Jacobs | -$975 | -$601 |
| CA-52 | Juan Vargas | -$1,824 | -$1,400 |
What these numbers mean
The margin is net income minus required costs. The margin is not an inflation rate and does not replace the CPI. A negative margin means the required monthly costs are larger than net income after taxes.
The renter column uses current asking rent. The owner columns use housing costs for homeowners: with a mortgage, with the home paid off, and a blend of the two. The basket is a market-price standard: current asking rent and unsubsidized average marketplace premiums. It can run above what a settled household pays, and the methodology states this.
Read the full method on the methodology page, compare other states on the list of all states, or open the district map.