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Travel Healthcare Stipends & Housing in California

How much of the GSA ceiling do you need just to cover rent? Markets ranked by break-even threshold — the lower, the more you keep.

Market
GSA Ceiling
Avg Rent
Market Ratio
Break-Even
Los Angeles
Los Angeles / Orange / Ventura / Edwards AFB less the city of Santa Monica · 637 ZIPs
$1,939
/week
$3,095
Zillow/mo
1.28×
hot market
37%
of ceiling
San Diego
San Diego · 172 ZIPs
$2,261
/week
$2,981
Zillow/mo
1.11×
31%
of ceiling
Barstow / Ontario / Victorville
San Bernardino · 118 ZIPs
$1,470
/week
$2,346
Zillow/mo
1.21×
hot market
37%
of ceiling
Sunnyvale / Palo Alto / San Jose
Santa Clara · 99 ZIPs
$1,988
/week
$3,590
Zillow/mo
1.18×
42%
of ceiling
Palm Springs
Riverside · 95 ZIPs
$1,904
/week
$2,610
Zillow/mo
1.32×
hot market
32%
of ceiling
Fresno
Fresno · 87 ZIPs
$1,505
/week
$1,775
Zillow/mo
1.18×
28%
of ceiling
Sacramento
Sacramento · 66 ZIPs
$1,652
/week
$2,132
Zillow/mo
1.12×
30%
of ceiling
Oakland
Alameda · 61 ZIPs
$1,659
/week
$2,721
Zillow/mo
1.12×
38%
of ceiling
Bakersfield / Ridgecrest
Kern · 57 ZIPs
$1,442
/week
$1,748
Zillow/mo
1.39×
hot market
28%
of ceiling
Antioch / Brentwood / Concord
Contra Costa · 53 ZIPs
$1,631
/week
$2,982
Zillow/mo
1.16×
43%
of ceiling
Santa Rosa
Sonoma · 46 ZIPs
$1,701
/week
$2,754
Zillow/mo
1.25×
hot market
38%
of ceiling
Visalia
Tulare · 41 ZIPs
$1,477
/week
$1,733
Zillow/mo
1.43×
hot market
27%
of ceiling
Mill Valley / San Rafael / Novato
Marin · 40 ZIPs
$1,869
/week
$3,643
Zillow/mo
1.22×
hot market
45%
of ceiling
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara · 38 ZIPs
$2,478
/week
$4,248
Zillow/mo
1.32×
hot market
40%
of ceiling
San Francisco
San Francisco · 38 ZIPs
$2,548
/week
$3,696
Zillow/mo
1.25×
hot market
34%
of ceiling
Eureka / Arcata / McKinleyville
Humboldt · 36 ZIPs
$1,806
/week
$1,503
Zillow/mo
1.28×
hot market
19%
of ceiling
Monterey
Monterey · 35 ZIPs
$2,597
/week
$3,190
Zillow/mo
1.26×
hot market
29%
of ceiling
San Mateo / Foster City / Belmont
San Mateo · 35 ZIPs
$1,883
/week
$3,467
Zillow/mo
1.09×
43%
of ceiling
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo · 35 ZIPs
$2,023
/week
$2,956
Zillow/mo
1.42×
hot market
34%
of ceiling
Stockton
San Joaquin · 35 ZIPs
$1,442
/week
$2,222
Zillow/mo
1.49×
hot market
36%
of ceiling
Tahoe City
Placer · 29 ZIPs
$1,519
/week
$2,808
Zillow/mo
1.35×
hot market
43%
of ceiling
Point Arena / Gualala
Mendocino · 29 ZIPs
$1,505
/week
$1,917
Zillow/mo
1.44×
hot market
30%
of ceiling
South Lake Tahoe
El Dorado · 26 ZIPs
$2,331
/week
$2,212
Zillow/mo
1.31×
hot market
22%
of ceiling
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz · 21 ZIPs
$1,834
/week
$3,379
Zillow/mo
0.93×
favorable
43%
of ceiling
West Sacramento / Davis
Yolo · 17 ZIPs
$1,554
/week
$2,245
Zillow/mo
1.51×
hot market
34%
of ceiling
Truckee
Nevada · 13 ZIPs
$1,813
/week
$2,224
Zillow/mo
1.61×
hot market
29%
of ceiling
Oakhurst
Madera · 13 ZIPs
$1,505
/week
$2,321
Zillow/mo
1.93×
hot market
36%
of ceiling
Napa
Napa · 12 ZIPs
$2,366
/week
$2,745
Zillow/mo
1.27×
hot market
27%
of ceiling
Death Valley
Inyo / NAWS China Lake · 12 ZIPs
$1,554
/week
$1,330
HUD/mo
—
20%
of ceiling
Mammoth Lakes
Mono · 7 ZIPs
$1,967
/week
$1,480
HUD/mo
—
18%
of ceiling
Yosemite National Park
Mariposa · 6 ZIPs
$2,023
/week
$1,137
HUD/mo
—
13%
of ceiling
Santa Monica
City limits of Santa Monica · 5 ZIPs
$2,555
/week
$4,446
Zillow/mo
1.64×
hot market
41%
of ceiling
How to read this
GSA Ceiling is the maximum tax-free stipend an agency can pay — not what you'll get. Your actual stipend depends on the assignment.
Avg Rent is the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) where available, or the HUD Fair Market Rent baseline.
Market Ratio shows how much higher observed rent is vs. the federal baseline. Under 1.0× = favorable. Over 1.2× = hot market where rent outpaces the government estimate.
Break-Even % is the minimum % of the GSA ceiling your stipend needs to cover rent. Lower = more room to keep the difference.
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