High-rent metro gap - Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA
Displayed gap in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA: +84.3% (HUD $4,214 vs ACS $2,286) · counties in FMR rows: Santa Cruz County .
FMR gap dispatch plate
CBSA 42100 · Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA -84.3% shortfall
GAP-GENEROUS · FMR-TOP · SPREAD-PLUS · NEAR-PEER · COUNTY-SPARSE · BOOK-FULL
- GAP-GENEROUS 84.3% surplus
- FMR-TOP #396/396 · P100
- SPREAD-PLUS +$1,928
- NEAR-PEER Helena
- COUNTY-SPARSE 1 county
- BOOK-FULL HUD+ACS pair
Nearest shortfall peer: Helena, MT Metro Area (+18.3pp)
HUD's reference overshoots the ACS median by $1,928/mo. Lease-up odds are usually better than in shortfall markets, though still compare Helena, MT Metro Area before assuming portability helps.
Instrument codes from this metro’s HUD FMR vs ACS shortfall band, national FMR quartile, dollar spread, gap peer, county footprint, and book completeness, not a moving recommendation.
Shortfall neighbourhood around Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Metros nearest this CBSA on voucher-vs-market shortfall (HUD FMR vs ACS 2-BR median). Full ladder: /gap/.
- Bozeman -46.33
Bozeman: -46.3% shortfall
-46.33 % shortfall
- Santa Maria-Sant -51.21
Santa Maria-Sant: -51.2% shortfall
-51.21 % shortfall
- Lewiston-Auburn -52.79
Lewiston-Auburn: -52.8% shortfall
-52.79 % shortfall
- Helena -66
Helena: -66.0% shortfall
-66 % shortfall
- Santa Cruz-Wat · this metro -84.34
Santa Cruz-Wat · this metro: -84.3% shortfall
-84.34 % shortfall
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA compare with nearby FMR areas?
These are the twelve metros closest to Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA on the displayed voucher-vs-market margin. Their county lists are HUD FMR-area coverage, not a claim that the markets are interchangeable.
- Helena, MT Metro Area
-66.0% shortfall · HUD $1,748 vs ACS $1,053 · $+$695/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Broadwater County.
- Lewiston-Auburn, ME Metro Area
-52.8% shortfall · HUD $1,586 vs ACS $1,038 · $+$548/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Androscoggin County, Androscoggin County, Androscoggin County, Androscoggin County, Androscoggin County, Androscoggin County.
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA Metro Area
-51.2% shortfall · HUD $3,124 vs ACS $2,066 · $+$1,058/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Santa Barbara County.
- Bozeman, MT Metro Area
-46.3% shortfall · HUD $2,154 vs ACS $1,472 · $+$682/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Gallatin County.
- Springfield, MA Metro Area
-44.6% shortfall · HUD $1,734 vs ACS $1,199 · $+$535/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Hampden County, Hampden County, Hampden County, Hampden County, Hampden County, Hampden County.
- Pittsfield, MA Metro Area
-44.4% shortfall · HUD $1,626 vs ACS $1,126 · $+$500/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Berkshire County, Berkshire County, Berkshire County, Berkshire County, Berkshire County, Berkshire County.
- Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ Metro Area
-43.8% shortfall · HUD $1,257 vs ACS $874 · $+$383/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Cochise County.
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
-41.6% shortfall · HUD $2,941 vs ACS $2,077 · $+$864/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Essex County, Essex County, Essex County, Essex County, Essex County, Essex County.
- Barnstable Town, MA Metro Area
-41.5% shortfall · HUD $2,422 vs ACS $1,711 · $+$711/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Barnstable County, Barnstable County, Barnstable County, Barnstable County, Barnstable County, Barnstable County.
- Jackson, TN Metro Area
-40.9% shortfall · HUD $1,260 vs ACS $894 · $+$366/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Chester County, Madison County.
- Yuma, AZ Metro Area
-40.0% shortfall · HUD $1,382 vs ACS $987 · $+$395/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Yuma County.
- Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Metro Area
-39.4% shortfall · HUD $2,004 vs ACS $1,438 · $+$566/mo
HUD FMR-area counties: Hampshire County, Hampshire County, Hampshire County, Hampshire County, Hampshire County, Hampshire County.
Source: HUD USER FY2026 Fair Market Rent area records and Census ACS 2019–2023 median gross rent.
CA FMR scale context
These are the closest FY2026 2-BR FMR values in CA; they help place this HUD reference on its state scale, but do not substitute for each metro’s ACS rent comparison.
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA $3,124 (−$1,090)
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA $3,001 (−$1,213)
- Oakland-Fremont, CA HUD Metro FMR Area $2,912 (−$1,302)
- San Benito County, CA HUD Metro FMR Area $2,902 (−$1,312)
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA $2,827 (−$1,387)
- Napa, CA MSA $2,773 (−$1,441)
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA $2,693 (−$1,521)
- Salinas, CA MSA $2,684 (−$1,530)
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area $2,601 (−$1,613)
- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA $2,512 (−$1,702)
Low-FMR contrast (scale only)
San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas, PR Metro Area ($663 2-BR); Erie County, OH HUD Metro FMR Area ($1,106 2-BR); Atascosa County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area ($1,098 2-BR); Bond County, IL HUD Metro FMR Area ($916 2-BR) . Opposite-quartile FMR metros for scale, not gap substitutes for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA gap inputs
- HUD 2-BR FMR (FY2026): $4,214/mo
- ACS 2019–2023 2-BR median: $2,286/mo
- Displayed gap: +84.3%
- National FMR percentile: 100 (#396/396)
displayed % = (HUD 2-BR − ACS 2-BR median) / ACS median × 100
CA HCV agencies (scale-keyed)
Full payment standards for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA · Payment standards vs FMR
Source: HUD USER Fair Market Rent FY2026, Census ACS median gross rent. Gap is PlainVoucher-derived. Methodology.
Disclaimer. For informational purposes only, not a substitute for PHA counseling or legal advice. Median gross rent reflects rents paid by current tenants; asking rents for available units typically run higher. Actual PHA payment standards can differ from HUD FMR by ±10%. Always confirm the current payment standard with your PHA. PlainVoucher is not affiliated with HUD or any PHA.