Cheapest Areas to Rent Near Downtown LA in 2026

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

Living near Downtown Los Angeles costs less than most people expect, if you look in the right ZIP codes. According to Zillow’s September 2026 data, several neighborhoods within a few miles of City Hall have typical rents well under the citywide figure of about $2,772. Some of Downtown’s own ZIPs are also cheaper than you’d think.

This is part three of our Cheapest LA Neighborhoods to Rent series. Part one covered the cheapest LA neighborhoods citywide. Part two covered the cheapest San Fernando Valley neighborhoods. This article covers Downtown and the neighborhoods around it.

About the numbers: every rent figure in this article comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), ZIP-code level, all homes plus multifamily, smoothed, for September 2026 (the latest month published when we wrote this), compared with September 2025. ZORI measures the typical asking rent for listed units in the middle of the market (roughly the 35th to 65th percentile), so it covers all unit sizes together. It is not a per-bedroom figure, and you will find listings above and below it. ZIP codes don’t line up exactly with neighborhood borders, so read each ZIP as an approximation of the area named next to it.

Central LA ZIP codes ranked by typical rent

ZIP	Area (approx.)	Typical rent, Sep 2026	Change vs Sep 2025
90057	Westlake / MacArthur Park	$1,891	-1.8%
90020	Koreatown (north) / Wilshire Center	$1,926	-0.9%
90006	Pico-Union / Koreatown (south)	$2,021	+0.0%
90031	Lincoln Heights	$2,177	-0.3%
90007	University Park	$2,242	+3.8%
90033	Boyle Heights	$2,263	+2.7%
90029	East Hollywood	$2,270	+0.7%
90004	Larchmont / Hancock Park edge / Koreatown (north)	$2,332	-0.8%
90005	Koreatown (central)	$2,499	-1.1%
90032	El Sereno / Cal State LA area	$2,555	+1.1%
90012	Chinatown / Civic Center	$2,556	+0.7%
90017	Downtown (City West / Financial District edge)	$2,658	+0.1%
90013	Downtown (Historic Core / Arts District edge)	$2,710	-1.3%
90015	Downtown (South Park / Fashion District)	$2,775	+1.8%
90014	Downtown (Historic Core)	$2,883	+3.4%
90021	Downtown (Arts District / Fashion District)	$3,022	+2.4%
90010	Mid-Wilshire	$3,268	-0.2%

Source: Zillow ZORI, ZIP level, September 2026 vs September 2025.

Downtown itself: more affordable than its towers suggest

Downtown ZIPs like 90017, 90013, 90014 and 90015 all come in near or below the citywide typical rent. Downtown has added a lot of new apartment supply over the last decade, and landlords in newer towers often compete with move-in concessions such as free weeks or free parking. ZORI tracks asking rents, so it doesn’t fully capture those deals. Always ask about concessions. If you want the full-amenity version of Downtown, our luxury building profiles cover towers like Circa in South Park and TenTen Wilshire. Our Downtown LA neighborhood guide covers the districts.

The real budget picks around Downtown

Westlake and MacArthur Park (90057)

90057 has the lowest typical rent of any City of LA ZIP that Zillow tracks, and it’s one subway stop from Downtown on the B and D Lines (Westlake/MacArthur Park station). Most of the housing is older mid-rise buildings, many of them rent-stabilized. Go see a unit in person, and check the block at different times of day.

Koreatown (90020, 90005, 90006)

Koreatown has some of the highest population density in Los Angeles, a big food scene, and three Metro D Line stations along Wilshire. North Koreatown (90020) is one of the cheapest ZIPs in the city, and central Koreatown (90005) is still under the city figure. See our Koreatown neighborhood guide.

Pico-Union (90006)

Just south of Koreatown and west of Downtown, Pico-Union has some of the area’s oldest apartment stock and some of its lowest rents. It’s close to both the Pico station on the A and E Lines and the Westlake station.

Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights and El Sereno (90031, 90033, 90032)

Northeast and east of Downtown, these ZIPs are all well below the city figure. Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights are on or near the Metro E Line and the A Line respectively, a short ride to Union Station. El Sereno (90032) is near Cal State LA.

East Hollywood (90029)

Northwest of Downtown, East Hollywood sits between Silver Lake and Hollywood and costs noticeably less than either. The B Line stops at Vermont/Santa Monica. Compare it with our Silver Lake and Echo Park guides if you’re weighing the east side.

Living car-free near Downtown

The biggest hidden saving in central LA is going without a car. AAA’s Your Driving Costs study regularly puts the full annual cost of owning a new car at well over $10,000 once you add depreciation, insurance, fuel and maintenance. Most of the ZIPs above are on a Metro rail line, which means a lower rent here can go a lot further than the table shows. Check current fares and passes at metro.net.

Frequently asked questions

How often is this rent data updated?

Zillow publishes ZORI once a month, usually around the middle of the month, covering the previous month. We plan to refresh the tables in this series when new data comes out. You can always download the raw files from Zillow Research yourself.

Why does my listing search show higher prices than the table?

Listing sites usually sort by newest or featured, and newer, larger and renovated units get the most exposure. ZORI is a middle-of-the-market measure across all unit sizes, so a typical studio will often cost less than the figure shown and a typical two-bedroom more. Use the table to compare areas, not to predict the rent on any one apartment.

Is a rent-stabilized apartment always cheaper?

Not on day one. Under the RSO, a landlord can generally set the rent at market rate when a new tenant moves in. The benefit is that annual increases afterward are limited to the amount the city sets each year. The LA Housing Department publishes the current allowable increase. Over a multi-year stay, that limit can be worth more than a lower starting rent somewhere else.

Are these areas safe?

Safety varies block by block, so we don’t rate whole ZIP codes. Visit at night and on weekends, talk to current tenants if you can, and check the LAPD’s official crime mapping and statistics for the exact address.

Before you sign: how to make a cheaper neighborhood actually cheaper

A lower rent only helps if the rest of the deal holds up. Some checks to run on any listing in these ZIPs:

• Find out if the unit is rent-stabilized. In the City of Los Angeles, the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) generally covers rental units built on or before October 1, 1978. These areas have plenty of older buildings, so an RSO unit is common, and that limits how much your rent can go up each year. You can look up any address on the LA Housing Department site. Newer buildings may still fall under California’s statewide cap (AB 1482).
• Know the deposit rules. Since July 1, 2024, California’s AB 12 caps most security deposits at one month’s rent. Our guide on getting your security deposit back covers what happens when you move out.
• Budget for the full monthly cost. Add parking, utilities and renters insurance, then run the total through our rent affordability calculator. Our guide to how much rent you can afford explains the 30% rule and where it falls short.
• Watch for scams. Below-market listings attract fake ones. Read how to spot a rental scam before you send money to anyone.
• Get your application ready early. Good-value units in these ZIPs go fast. Our rental application tips cover the documents landlords ask for.

Looking, or renting one out?

Our free Apartments Club rentals board is new. Landlords and property managers in these neighborhoods can list a rental for free. If you’re still deciding where to live, start with our LA neighborhood guides.

Featured image: Westlake-MacArthur Park Station LACMTA.jpg by GTD Aquitaine, via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Sources: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), as cited in the text above. Figures reflect the data release noted where they appear; listings and prices change. How we source and update data: Editorial Standards & Sources.