Fallbrook, CA 175 Apartments for Rent

"Three days a week and I'm home at the ranch in Fallbrook with my avocados." (-Martin Milner)

Fallbrook can defy your expectations about Southern California. If you're tired of crowded SoCal cities set right on the beach, this community will charm you. Its main claim to fame centers on avocados, though oak trees and citrus fruit have also shaped this adorable area.

Fallbrook is a small unincorporated community of about 30,000 people. The area, which is located in San Diego County, is known for being the "Avocado Capital of the World." That probably gives you a good idea of the kind of community Fallbrook is: rural, quaint, and green, with a winding road that goes for six miles before coming to a stop at the closest freeway. Since this community is about half an hour from the beach, its temperatures can get up to 100 degrees in the summer, but it does still get the occasional ocean breeze.If you like the idea of affordable housing at least for a California city and being a short drive away from beaches and everything else San Diego has to offer, Fallbrook is a good place to live.

Starting Your Apartment Search in Fallbrook

More people own a home in Fallbrook than rent. More specifically, only about one-third of residents are renting here, and the vacancy rate is about 8 percent. So searching for rental properties should not be too difficult, depending on what you want.

How much will you spend on your rental?

Most studios and one-bedroom apartments start at about $800 per month, while two-bedroom apartments cost closer to $1200 on average.

How to prepare to find a rental

It shouldn't take too long to find a property in Fallbrook, since the rental market is not exactly as competitive as it is in larger cities and beachside towns. But try to start your search at least a month or two before you need to move, and be sure to bring a month's worth of pay stubs to show you're employed. Plus, be prepared to have your credit checked, references called, and rental history verified by property owners who need to feel they can trust you to take care of their place.

Where to Live in Fallbrook

Fallbrook may be pretty small, but there are still some discernible neighborhoods, each of which has its own pros and cons. Here's a sampling of what you can choose from when it comes to local neighborhoods.

Pala Mesa / San Luis Rey Heights: This is among the nicer areas of Fallbrook. There are town homes for rent. If you really want to live in this suburban neighborhood, start looking at rental properties ASAP, since the vacancy rate here is only 4 percent.

De Luz: This area is known for being even more rural than the rest of Fallbrook. Rent is fairly affordable here.

Rainbow: If you want a suburban area that is known for being both trendy and hip yet peaceful, this is it. You can find small rentals and mobile homes here, though there are lots of three-bedroom houses for rent in this neighborhood as well. That seems to be the trend in Fallbrook.

Town Center:If you prefer to live in an urban Town Center may pique your interest. Its so close to the area's amenities that many people actually ride bikes to work, unlike most of Fallbrook's other neighborhoods. There are lots of rental options here, with a good mix of studio apartments, high-rise rentals, and houses. However, the vacancy rate is just under 3 percent, so you have lots of competition for finding a rental!

Getting Around

As you can likely guess, Fallbrook is rural, which means you need a car to get around. The area is mostly residential, with a few grocery stores sprinkled in among all the homes. There are also some golf courses, museums, farmers markets, and cute little mom-and-pop shops. But really, you'll need to drive to Oceanside, Temecula, and other nearby cities to get any serious shopping done, and that means taking freeways and busy streets.

Now for the good news...there's plenty of room to park in Fallbrook, so no need to work on your parallel parking skills before you move here. But seriously, if you don't have a car, the North County Transit District does offer some options for public transportation. BREEZE buses serve North County. Route 306, in particular, can take you from Fallbrook to Vista and back again every day of the week, and you can also take the Metrolink to Oceanside. But your best bet is probably to carpool to work, like so many Fallbrook residents do--hey, it's a great way to make new friends!

If you want to move to this community filled with oak trees and avocados on every corner, it's time to start looking for your next apartment. You might work up an appetite trying to find a place here. Lucky for you, there's a big bowl of guacamole waiting for you at the end!