Apartments Near USC: Rents by ZIP, Transit and Neighborhoods (2026)

Last updated: October 29, 2026. By the Apartments Club Editorial Team.

The University of Southern California’s University Park campus sits just south of Downtown LA, next to Exposition Park. The rental market around it is shaped by two forces: thousands of students looking for housing within walking distance, and long-time residential neighborhoods with older homes and small apartment buildings. Prices close to campus are driven by student demand, while neighborhoods a few miles away along the Metro E Line often deliver more space for the money. This guide compares current rents and explains the trade-offs.

Rents in ZIP codes near USC

ZIP	Area	Zillow ZORI (Sep 2026)	ZORI change vs Sep 2025	HUD SAFMR studio	HUD SAFMR 1BR	HUD SAFMR 2BR
90007	University Park / North University Park	$2,242	+3.8%	$1,630	$1,820	$2,270
90037	Vermont Square / South LA	$2,434	-0.8%	$1,600	$1,800	$2,240
90018	Jefferson Park / West Adams	$2,219	-4.1%	$1,770	$1,980	$2,470
90016	West Adams / Baldwin Village area	$3,296	-1.9%	$1,950	$2,180	$2,720
90019	Mid-City / Arlington Heights	$2,743	-0.2%	$2,060	$2,310	$2,880

Sources: Zillow ZORI (September 2026) and HUD FY2026 Small Area FMRs. See methodology below.

ZIP-by-ZIP notes

90007 (University Park / North University Park): the typical Zillow asking rent rose over the past year (+3.8%) to $2,242. That is $422 above HUD’s one-bedroom SAFMR of $1,820, so expect most listings to price above voucher payment standards unless they are smaller or older units.
90037 (Vermont Square / South LA): the typical Zillow asking rent fell over the past year (-0.8%) to $2,434. That is $634 above HUD’s one-bedroom SAFMR of $1,800, so expect most listings to price above voucher payment standards unless they are smaller or older units.
90018 (Jefferson Park / West Adams): the typical Zillow asking rent fell over the past year (-4.1%) to $2,219. That is $239 above HUD’s one-bedroom SAFMR of $1,980, so a typical one-bedroom here may sit near local voucher payment standards.
90016 (West Adams / Baldwin Village area): the typical Zillow asking rent fell over the past year (-1.9%) to $3,296. That is $1,116 above HUD’s one-bedroom SAFMR of $2,180, so expect most listings to price above voucher payment standards unless they are smaller or older units.
90019 (Mid-City / Arlington Heights): the typical Zillow asking rent was roughly flat over the past year (-0.2%) to $2,743. That is $433 above HUD’s one-bedroom SAFMR of $2,310, so expect most listings to price above voucher payment standards unless they are smaller or older units.

Getting to campus

University Park (90007) covers the blocks directly north and west of campus, including much of the area students call North University Park. Many buildings here are converted houses and purpose-built student apartments rented by the bedroom. Walking and biking dominate, and USC’s own campus safety and evening ride services cover much of this zone.

The Metro E Line runs along Exposition Boulevard on the south edge of campus, with stops at Expo Park/USC and Jefferson/USC. That makes the corridor west toward Culver City and Santa Monica, and east to Downtown, practical for car-free students. The Metro J Line bus rapid transit serves the 37th Street/USC station on the Harbor Transitway, linking campus with Downtown and the South Bay.

Jefferson Park and West Adams (90018, 90016) lie west of campus along the E Line. The neighborhoods have Craftsman homes, duplexes and small apartment buildings, and they appeal to graduate students and staff who want a quieter street a few stops from class. ZIP 90016 also includes newer development near the Expo/Crenshaw and Expo/La Brea stations, which pulls its typical Zillow rent up.

Vermont Square (90037), south of campus, has some of the lower typical rents in this table and is reachable by Metro buses on Vermont Avenue. Mid-City (90019) is further northwest; it suits people who also commute toward Koreatown or the Miracle Mile.

Which area fits which renter

First-year and second-year students usually want walking distance, which means University Park or the blocks immediately around campus. Upper-division and graduate students often move west along the E Line to get a full apartment rather than a room. Staff members with cars may look at Mid-City or West Adams, where street parking is easier than in the student core.

Housing near USC is heavily seasonal. Many per-bedroom leases run on an academic calendar and are pre-leased months in advance, sometimes in the fall for the following year. If you are arriving later, the year-round market in West Adams and Mid-City often has more choices. Read our guide to living near USC on a budget for a deeper comparison.

Per-bedroom pricing can hide the true cost of a unit. Ask whether utilities and internet are bundled, whether furniture is included, and what happens if a roommate leaves. In a standard lease, all tenants are often jointly responsible for the full rent, so choose roommates carefully and put a roommate agreement in writing.

What the numbers mean for your budget

Across the ZIP codes in the table, the typical Zillow asking rent runs from $2,219 to $3,296 a month. Using the common 30%-of-gross-income guideline that HUD also uses as its affordability benchmark, a $2,219 rent points to a gross income of about $88,800 a year, and $3,296 points to roughly $131,800. Many renters near USC split a larger unit with roommates to get under those thresholds, so it is worth checking the per-person cost of a two-bedroom against a studio before you decide.

HUD’s one-bedroom SAFMRs for the same ZIP codes range from $1,800 to $2,310. If you use a Housing Choice Voucher, your housing authority sets payment standards from these figures, so a unit priced above the local payment standard may leave you paying the difference. If you do not use a voucher, the SAFMR is still a useful second opinion: when a ZIP’s ZORI is far above its SAFMR, the listings you see online are probably newer or larger units than the area average.

Plan for move-in cash, too. In California, most landlords may charge no more than one month’s rent as a security deposit for leases starting on or after July 1, 2024 (some small landlords may charge two). Our Move-In Cost Calculator adds the deposit, first month, fees and moving costs, and the Rent Affordability Calculator works backward from your income.

Checklist before you sign near USC

Check whether the building is covered by the City of LA Rent Stabilization Ordinance on ZIMAS (Housing tab). If it is, annual increases are capped; see our LA RSO Allowable Rent Increase Calculator. Units outside the City of LA may fall under state law (AB 1482) or a local ordinance instead.
Walk or ride the actual commute at the time you would travel. A 2-mile trip can take 10 minutes or 40 depending on the hour.
Ask what utilities are included. HUD’s SAFMR assumes rent plus basic utilities, while most listings quote rent only.
Confirm parking: permit districts, garage fees and street-sweeping days add real cost.
Never wire a deposit before seeing the unit and verifying the landlord. Our guide to spotting rental scams lists the warning signs.
Use our apartment tour checklist during viewings.

Related guides

Sources and methodology

Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), ZIP level, all homes plus multifamily, smoothed, September 2026 value (most recent month available), downloaded October 29, 2026 from Zillow Research Data. ZORI is a typical asking rent across unit sizes. It is not a quote for any specific apartment.
HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMR), FY2026 revised file (effective May 21, 2026), from HUD USER. SAFMRs are gross-rent estimates (rent plus basic utilities) used for Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Values shown are the base SAFMR, not the 90% or 110% payment standard.
Year-over-year change compares the ZORI value for September 2026 to September 2025 in the same file.
Commute and transit notes are based on public Metro and campus information. Service changes often, so check metro.net before you sign a lease.

Read more about how we source and update data in our Editorial Standards & Sources.