Where California metros rank among the least affordable cities for renters

California renters may want to brace themselves before checking this list.

A new WalletHub report ranking the more affordable cities for renters found several metro areas in th Golden State buried near the bottom — with Los Angeles landing among the least affordable rental markets in the entire country.

The study compared median annual gross rent against median household income across more than 180 US cities to determine where renters are getting squeezed the hardest.

And while a handful of California cities managed respectable showings, much of the state clustered in the lower half of the rankings —  a brutal sign of how much rent is eating into residents’ paychecks.

Los Angeles ranked No. 170 overall out of 182 cities, with renters spending roughly 28.3% of their median household income on rent, according to the report.

Only a dozen cities performed worse — including nearby Glendale, which came in at No. 176. Residents there spend nearly 29.6% of their household income on rent.

Other California cities near the bottom included Oceanside at No. 169, Ontario at No. 162, Anaheim at No. 164 and Moreno Valley at No. 166.

Miami ranked dead last nationwide, with residents spending nearly 33.8% of their income on rent.

Still, not every California city got crushed in the rankings.

Fremont emerged as the state’s most affordable metro area for renters, ranking No. 20 nationally. WalletHub found renters there spend about 19.4% of their household income on rent — dramatically lower than many other California cities.

San Francisco also posted a surprisingly strong finish at No. 43 overall, followed by Fontana at No. 51, San Jose at No. 59 and Bakersfield at No. 60.

Oakland landed at No. 88, while Sacramento came in at No. 111.

Further down the list were Chula Vista at No. 115, Santa Clarita at No. 117, Huntington Beach at No. 118 and Riverside at No. 127.

Modesto also ranked poorly at No. 132 overall, with renters spending roughly 25.4% of their median household income on rent.

Long Beach came in at No. 138 while San Diego landed at No. 139, with renters in both cities spending about 25.7% of their household income on rent.

Santa Rosa ranked No. 145, Irvine No. 149 and Santa Ana at No. 154. San Bernardino ranked No. 157.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the gap between the nation’s most affordable and least affordable is staggering.

“In the most affordable cities for renters, the median cost of rent is as low at 15% of the median incme, compared to nearly 34% in the most expensive cities,” he said in the report. “This gives people in the least expensive cities a clear financial advantage; the money they save on rent could go toward their emergency fund or savings for future home ownership,”

The nation’s most affordable market was Bismarck, North Dakota, where the median rent accounts for just 15.3% of median household income.

Sioux Falls, S.D., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, rounded out the top three.

Where California cities rank:

• San Francisco — No. 43
• San Jose — No. 59
• Oakland — No. 88
• Sacramento — No. 111
• Long Beach — T-No. 139
• San Diego — T-No. 139
• Irvine — No. 149
• Anaheim — No. 164
• Los Angeles — No. 170
• Glendale — No. 176

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