How Much Does Off-Campus Housing Cost Near UC Davis?

UC Davis off-campus housing costs about $500 to $1,200 a month for a bedroom in a shared student apartment, $1,450 to $2,100 for most one-bedrooms, and $1,975 to $3,075 for a two-bedroom of your own. The median one-bedroom across 32 floor plans on Find My Place is $1,910 (October 2026). UC Davis's own fall 2025 survey lands in the same place: $1,223 a month for the average by-the-bed lease and $2,309 for the average apartment rented as a whole unit.

Key Takeaways

• The lowest starting rents near UC Davis are $509 for a four-bedroom plan at Sol at West Village and $525 for individual leases at Casitas Apartments, both likely shared rooms.
• Most bed-leased student buildings cluster around $800 to $900 (8th & Wake, Aria & Luma, Identity Davis).
• One-bedrooms are expensive here. Even "cheap" downtown units like Academy Lane start at $1,464.
• Davis rents fell 1.8% last year, the first drop since 2013, according to UC Davis's apartment survey.
• UC Davis budgets $11,160 for off-campus housing for the 2026-27 school year, versus $13,957 in the residence halls.
• Vacancy is just 3.5%, so the price you see in October may not be available in March.

UC Davis Off-Campus Housing Cost by Housing Type

Sharing a bed-leased student apartment is the cheapest way to live off campus at UC Davis, and living alone costs roughly double. Here's how the 27 places on the page for off-campus housing near UC Davis break down.

• Bedroom in a shared student apartment: about $500 to $1,200, with most student buildings at $800 to $900.
• One-bedroom, whole unit: mostly $1,464 to $2,100, median $1,910.
• Two-bedroom, whole unit: $1,975 to $3,075 at conventional complexes.
• Three-bedroom, whole unit: $2,550 to $3,749.

The university's numbers back this up. In UC Davis's fall 2025 apartment survey, by-the-bed rent went up 4.7% to $1,223. Whole-unit rent went the other way, down 4.8% to $2,309. Vacancy? 3.5%.

What a Bedroom in a Davis Student Apartment Costs

Figure $500 to $1,200 a month for a bedroom in a shared Davis apartment. One warning first. Plenty of these listings say "whole unit" when they mean per person, and the tell is simple: if the four-bedroom is cheaper than the two-bedroom, you're looking at a per-bed price.

• Lowest starting price off campus: Casitas Apartments at 717 Alvarado Ave. Individual leases in its three-bedrooms start at $525 to $625 and run up to $1,450, so the low end is likely a shared room. Its one-bedroom is $1,950. It's 1.7 miles out.
• Arlington Farm Apartments does individual leases (townhomes, flats, even cottages) from $615 a person, about a mile and a half out.
• Want your own bathroom? The U Apartments on Cantrill Dr charges $999 for that in its "Quad," or $799 if you'll share one in the "Silo." Reviews there are mixed (3.2).
• $880 gets you a private room in a four-bedroom at 8th & Wake, 0.8 miles away on Wake Forest Drive.
• Aria & Luma Davis on Sycamore Lane is a textbook per-bed curve: $880 in a four-bedroom, $895 to $950 in a three, $1,050 to $1,200 in a two.
• Identity Davis on Oxford Circle starts at $864. One resident calls it "across the street from campus," and it holds a 5.0 FMP score.

Our take: 8th & Wake and Identity Davis are the value picks. You pay about $900 to be under a mile from campus, versus a $525 starting rate at Casitas for a 1.7-mile bike ride. If that $525 turns out to be a shared room, the closer private room is the easy call.

What a One-Bedroom Costs Near UC Davis

A one-bedroom near UC Davis costs about $1,464 to $2,100 at most complexes, and the median across 32 one-bedroom floor plans on FMP is $1,910. That's almost exactly the $1,895 average one-bedroom rent in UC Davis's 2025 survey.

The low end is scattered. Sterling Fifth Street, 2.2 miles out on 5th Street, lists one-bedrooms from $1,200. Downtown, Academy Lane at 1124 F St runs $1,464 to $1,525 (residents mention a pool that's "always clean"). East of campus, Cambridge House Apartments on Pole Line Road asks $1,995.

The top end is Sol at West Village, 0.5 miles from campus, where one-bedrooms list at $2,640 to $3,009. Living alone in Davis costs real money, so splitting a two- or four-bedroom is the cheaper move for most budgets.

What Two-Bedroom Apartments Cost Near UC Davis

Two-bedrooms near UC Davis run $1,975 to $3,075 for the whole unit. That's roughly $990 to $1,540 each if you split it.

The cheapest ones are far out. Ellington Apartments on El Cemonte Ave asks $1,975 to $2,175, but it's nearly four miles from campus (great reviews, though: 5.0). Cambridge House wants $1,995 for one bath or $2,395 for two. Pinecrest on Cranbrook Court sits at $2,025 to $2,125. And The Celeste, out on Chiles Rd, tops the list at $3,075.

Here's the thing nobody tells you. Half of a $2,000 two-bedroom is $1,000, which is what you'd pay for a room in a two-bedroom at Aria & Luma anyway. Same money, one roommate, your own lease. The catch is the bike ride.

UC Davis Off-Campus Housing Cost vs. the Dorms

UC Davis itself says off campus is cheaper. Its 2026-27 cost of attendance lists $11,160 for off-campus housing. A residence hall? $13,957. A campus apartment is $14,113.

Food tilts the same way ($5,891 off campus against $8,200 on a dorm meal plan).

Careful, though: all of those figures only cover three quarters, mid-September to mid-June. Many Davis leases run 12 months, so do the full-year math. Twelve months at 8th & Wake's $880 is $10,560, still under the off-campus budget. Twelve months at Casitas's $525 starting rate is $6,300.

When UC Davis students move off campus

The off-campus search usually starts during freshman year. UC Davis guarantees on-campus housing to fall 2026 first-years, but second-year campus housing is only offered "based on availability." Transfer students get a two-year guarantee if they live on campus their first year.

Hidden Costs on Top of Davis Off-Campus Rent

Fees are the first gap. Almost none of the Davis properties above have posted monthly fees on FMP, so every number here is base rent. Ask for the all-in figure, including utilities, internet, parking and any amenity charge, before you sign.

Timing is the second. FMP's Davis guide calls it "one of the most competitive college rental markets in California," says serious searchers start in September or October, and notes that popular properties near campus "routinely fill by November." Wait until spring and you'll pay more for something farther out. Compare current listings on the Davis, CA student housing page while the good units are still there.

Frequently Asked Questions About UC Davis Off-Campus Housing Cost

What is the cheapest off-campus housing near UC Davis?

$509 to $525 a month to start. Sol at West Village lists a four-bedroom plan from $509 and Casitas Apartments on Alvarado Ave lists individual leases from $525, but both ranges climb past $1,100, so the lowest prices are likely shared rooms. Arlington Farm starts at $615 per person.

Is it cheaper to live off campus at UC Davis?

Yes, on paper. UC Davis budgets $11,160 for off-campus housing in 2026-27, versus $13,957 in the residence halls. A 12-month lease at $880 still comes in under that.

How much is a one-bedroom apartment near UC Davis?

$1,910 is the median on FMP. Sterling Fifth Street starts at $1,200 and Academy Lane at $1,464, while Sol at West Village asks up to $3,009.

How much is rent per person near UC Davis?

$800 to $900 in most student buildings on FMP. The university's survey average is $1,223 a bed, so if you find something under $900, grab it.

When should I start looking for off-campus housing at UC Davis?

September or October, a full school year ahead. Popular buildings near campus fill by November.