Living Near USC on a Budget: Cheapest Nearby Neighborhoods (2026)

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

The neighborhoods around USC are some of the most affordable near any major LA university. Zillow’s data puts the typical rent in 90007 (University Park, which surrounds campus) at about $2,242 a month in September 2026. That’s roughly $530 below the City of Los Angeles figure of about $2,772. It’s also about $1,270 a month less than Westwood next to UCLA.

This is part two of our Student Housing Near UCLA & USC series. Part one compared the neighborhoods near UCLA.

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.

ZIP codes around USC ranked by typical rent

ZIP	Area (approx.)	Typical rent, Sep 2026	Change vs Sep 2025
90006	Pico-Union	$2,021	+0.0%
90008	Baldwin Hills / Crenshaw	$2,136	-0.6%
90018	Jefferson Park / West Adams	$2,219	-4.1%
90007	University Park (around campus)	$2,242	+3.8%
90011	Historic South-Central	$2,418	+0.6%
90037	Vermont Square / Exposition Park south	$2,434	-0.8%
90062	Leimert Park edge / Vermont Knolls	$2,455	+5.6%
90019	Mid-City / Arlington Heights	$2,743	-0.2%
90015	Downtown South Park / Fashion District	$2,775	+1.8%
90016	West Adams (west) / Jefferson Park	$3,296	-1.9%

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

University Park: close, but in high demand

The blocks right around campus fill up with students every year, and many older houses there have been divided into shared units. Demand peaks before fall semester, so leases tend to get signed in spring. Rent per bedroom can run higher than the ZIP-wide figure suggests, because student-oriented buildings price by the bed. Always ask whether a quote is per unit or per bedroom.

Jefferson Park and West Adams: the value belt to the west

Jefferson Park and West Adams (90018) have one of the lowest typical rents in this group, plus a lot of historic Craftsman-era housing. They’re a short bike ride to campus and close to the E Line’s Expo/Western and Expo/Crenshaw stations.

South of campus: Exposition Park and beyond

90037 and 90011 are just south and east of USC and come in under the city figure. The Expo Park/USC and Jefferson/USC stations on the E Line sit right on the edge of campus, which helps if you live along the line.

Downtown and Pico-Union: city living, short ride

Pico-Union (90006) is one of the cheapest ZIPs in the city. South Park in Downtown (90015) costs more but has newer buildings, some with move-in concessions. Both are one or two stops from campus on Metro rail. See our guide to the cheapest areas near Downtown LA for more.

Staying safe and smart as a first-time renter

Many USC students are renting for the first time, and student areas attract rental scams every summer. Read how to spot a rental scam, and never pay a deposit for a unit you or someone you trust hasn’t seen. California’s AB 12 caps most security deposits at one month’s rent. Our first apartment checklist and first apartment essentials cover the rest.

Student-specific tips

• Use your school’s off-campus housing office. UCLA Housing runs a Community Housing Office, and USC Housing has off-campus resources. Both list rentals and offer guidance for students renting in the neighborhood.
• Splitting with roommates is the biggest lever. The typical rents below cover all unit sizes. A two-bedroom shared by two people is usually far cheaper per person than a studio. Put the split in writing. Our roommate agreement guide shows you how.
• Plan for a guarantor. Many landlords ask students without income history for a co-signer. Have that paperwork ready. Our rental application tips cover what to bring.
• Lease timing. Most leases near campus turn over in summer. Starting your search in spring gives you more choice. If you need to leave early, read how breaking a lease works before you sign a 12-month lease for a 9-month school year.
• Transit passes. LA Metro offers discounted passes for college students through participating schools. Check current options at metro.net/riding/fares and with your school’s transportation office.

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: House at 1186 W. 27th St., Los Angeles.jpg by Los Angeles (Wikimedia Commons user), via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

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.