What income is needed for the median rent in Oildale?

A gross household income of about $51,200 per year would keep Oildale's median gross rent near 30% of income. This is a planning benchmark, not a qualification rule.

California city guide

Housing Costs and Affordability in Oildale, California

Oildale has about 34,687 residents. Median gross rent is $1,281 per month, while median household income is $51,298.

Quick answer

What income supports the median rent?

A household would need about $51,200 per year to keep Oildale's median gross rent near 30% of gross income. The current citywide median-rent-to-median-income benchmark is 30%.

Elevated housing-cost benchmark

Data scope: figures use 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates. The latest official release was checked Aug 01, 2026 at 03:00 UTC. The benchmark compares citywide medians and is designed for broad relocation research, not an individual budget or a live apartment search.

Personal rent check

Test Oildale rent against your income

Enter gross annual household income to compare a 30% monthly housing target with the citywide median gross rent.

Median gross rent$1,281/mo23% below the dataset median90% MOE ±$68

Income for 30% rent target$51,200Gross annual household incomeDerived MOE ±$2,700

Median household income$51,29839% below the dataset median90% MOE ±$3,807

Median home value$238,80036% below the dataset median90% MOE ±$11,668

Owner-occupied homes41%Share of occupied units

Home value-to-income4.7xMedian value ÷ income

Good estimate precision Margins of error use the Census ACS 90% confidence level. Smaller geographies and subgroups can have wider uncertainty.

How Oildale compares

Median rent is 23% below the dataset median, while household income is 39% below the dataset median. Within California, Oildale ranks #20 from lowest to highest rent and #345 from highest to lowest household income among 347 cities in the current dataset.

The citywide rent-to-income benchmark is between 25% and 30%. This benchmark is useful for comparing cities under one formula, but households with different incomes, unit sizes or debt loads will experience costs differently.

Renting snapshot

$15,372 in annual median rent

Twelve months of median gross rent totals about $15,372. Gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated tenant-paid utilities where applicable in the ACS definition.

Buying snapshot

15.5x price-to-rent baseline

Median home value is about 15.5x annual median rent. This is a broad market comparison and does not include mortgage rates, taxes, insurance or maintenance.

Search terms, defined

How to read rent, home price and AMI searches

These distinctions keep the Census estimates comparable and prevent a historical survey measure from being mistaken for a live market quote.

Average rent vs. median gross rent: If you searched for the average rent in Oildale, the closest consistent Census measure on this page is $1,281 median gross rent. It is the midpoint among renter-occupied homes, not a live average asking rent. Gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated tenant-paid utilities where applicable.
Home price vs. median home value: The reported $238,800 median home value is the midpoint of owner estimates for owner-occupied homes. It is not an average sale price, listing price or current automated valuation.
Household income vs. AMI: The $51,298 median household income is a Census city estimate. It is not HUD Area Median Income (AMI), an AMI eligibility limit or an affordable-housing contract amount.

Keep comparing

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Questions people ask

What is the median rent in Oildale?

Median gross rent is $1,281 per month in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the average rent in Oildale?

This page reports Census median gross rent of $1,281 per month, not a live average asking rent. Median is the midpoint among renter-occupied homes; gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated tenant-paid utilities where applicable.

What income is needed for the median rent?

A gross household income of about $51,200 per year would keep median gross rent near 30% of income. This is a planning benchmark, not a landlord qualification rule.

Is housing affordable in Oildale?

The citywide median-rent-to-median-income benchmark is 30%, which this site labels a elevated housing-cost benchmark. Individual costs can differ substantially.

Does this page report Area Median Income or AMI?

No. The $51,298 figure is Census median household income for the city. It is not HUD Area Median Income, an AMI limit or an affordable-housing contract amount.

What is the median home value in Oildale?

The median value of owner-occupied homes is $238,800 in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the average home price in Oildale?

This page reports a Census median owner-occupied home value of $238,800, not an average sale price, current listing price or real-time market estimate.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Latest release checked Aug 01, 2026 at 03:00 UTC. Review the definitions and methodology.