The median monthly rent for all apartment types in the U.S. has stabilized since 2022, despite some seasonal fluctuations. In January 2026, the monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment amounted to ***** U.S. dollars. That was an increase from ***** U.S. dollars in January 2021, but a decline from the peak value of ***** U.S. dollars in August 2022. Where are the most expensive apartments in the U.S.? Apartment rents vary widely from state to state. To afford a two-bedroom apartment in California, for example, a renter needed to earn an average hourly wage of nearly ** U.S. dollars. This was approximately double the average wage in Michigan and 2.6 times as much as the average wage in Arkansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia. In fact, rental costs were considerably higher than the hourly minimum wage in all U.S. states. How did rents change in different states in the U.S.? In late 2025, some of the most expensive states to rent an apartment only saw a moderate increase in rental prices. Nevertheless, rents increased in about half of U.S. states as of January 2026. In North Dakota, the annual rental growth was the highest, at almost **** percent.

This dataset provides comprehensive information on the average income and rent in various states across the United States for the year 2022. It aims to offer insights into state-level economic trends and housing market dynamics.

Column Descriptions:

Region: Name of the state within the United States.

Average_Rent: Description: Average monthly rent for residential properties in each state, reflecting prevailing rental costs.

Average_Income: Average per capita income within each state, representing the average earnings of individuals residing in the state over the year.

As of January 2026, the rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Hawaii was about *** U.S. dollars higher than in California. The states of Hawaii and California ranked as the most expensive within the United States for apartment renters. Conversely, an apartment in Arkansas was almost ***** times more affordable than one in Hawaii.January 2026, the average monthly rent in the U.S. declined slightly. Nevertheless, rents increased in more than half of U.S. states, with North Dakota registering the highest growth.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Rent of Primary Residence in U.S. City Average from Jan 1981 to Feb 2026 about primary, rent, urban, consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Apartment rents in two states and the District of Columbia in the U.S. exceeded ***** U.S. dollars in January 2026. In Hawaii, the median rent was about ***** U.S. dollars, nearly *** U.S. dollars higher than the national average. At the other end of the spectrum was South Dakota, where renters paid about *** U.S. dollars for the median new lease. Overall, more than half of the states saw rental rates increase year-on-year.

The monthly median asking rent for unfurnished apartments in the United States in the first quarter of 2025 amounted to ***** U.S. dollars. This was an increase of about *** U.S. dollars in just five years. In 2020, the median rent stood at ***** U.S. dollars. The U.S. rental market As rental apartment vacancy rates fall, rents are on the rise. This makes it more difficult for Americans to, first, find an apartment to rent, and second, find an apartment which they can afford. Nevertheless, renting has become much more common in recent years, with the number of renter households having substantially increased in the past two decades. In 2025, there were approximately **** million renter households in the U.S. Rents in different states Of course, rents vary from state to state. The most expensive rents are found in Hawaii, California, District of Colombia, New Jersey, and Florida. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, growth was the strongest in the Sun Belt states, and especially in states with lower costs of living, such as Texas. In Austin, TX, the average rent soared by nearly ** percent in 2021, and remained elevated, despite a slight decline in 2023.

Rent Inflation in the United States remained unchanged at 3 percent in February. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for the United States Rent Inflation.

Comprehensive dataset of average rental costs across major US cities, including one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartment prices

In District of Columbia, the average rent per square foot was **** U.S. dollars in 2018, whereas renters in Oregon were expected to pay half as much in rent per square foot. DC was the most expensive state for renters, followed by New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts and California. Why is DC so expensive? District of Columbia is the center of the U.S. political system with all three branches of federal government sitting there: Congress (legislative), President (executive) and the Supreme Court (judicial). The above average household incomes of its residents mean that high rents are still sustainable for the rental market. Limited space in DC DC has the largest share of apartment dwellers in the country. This is most likely due to limited space, as the federal district has a much higher population density than the states. The political importance of DC and the high population density suggest that the federal district is likely to retain its spot as the most expensive rental market in the future.

In January 2026, apartment rents recorded an annual growth in about half of U.S. states. The national average rent declined by about **** percent. North Dakota was the state with the largest rental increase at **** percent, while Colorado measured the largest decline at **** percent. California, one of the most expensive states to rent an apartment, saw an increase of about **** percent from the previous year. How much should you earn to afford to rent an apartment in different states in the U.S.? Both employment opportunities and living costs vary widely across the country. In California, which is among the most competitive housing markets in the U.S., the hourly wage needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment rental was roughly ** U.S. dollars, about twice higher than in North Carolina, Louisiana, or Michigan in 2025. When it comes to the median household income, on the other hand, California does not even make it in the top ten states. How much should you earn to afford a home in some of U.S. largest metros? In 2025, the annual salary needed to buy a median-priced home in the U.S. was ******* U.S. dollars. However, in some of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, where housing prices are up to two or three times higher, homebuyers would have to earn considerably more than 100,000 U.S. dollars to afford a home. In San Jose, which was the most expensive metro, the annual salary needed for a median-priced home was approximately ******* U.S. dollars.

View quarterly updates and historical trends for US Median Asking Rent. from United States. Source: Census Bureau. Track economic data with YCharts analyt…

Virginia (VA) has the 19th highest rent in the country out of 56 states and territories. The Fair Market Rent in Virginia ranges from $701 for a 2-bedroom apartment in Grayson County, VA to $1,765 for a 2-bedroom unit in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area.

For FY 2024, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area (Arlington County) rent for a studio or efficiency is $1,772 per month and $3,015 per month to rent a house or an apartment with 4 bedrooms. The average Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom home in Virginia is $1,056 per month.

Approximately 15% of Americans qualify for some level of housing assistance. The population in Virginia is around 2,038,847 people. So, there are around 305,827 people in Virginia who could be receiving housing benefits from the HUD. For FY 2025, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area (Arlington County) rent for a studio or efficiency is $2,012 per month and $3,413 per month to rent a house or an apartment with 4 bedrooms. The average Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom home in Virginia is $1,059 per month.

🔗 Related Datasets

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• Virginia Median Household Income - by Census County (ACS 5-Year) — Office of INTERMODAL Planning and Investment
• Virginia Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months by Census Block Group (ACS 5-Year) — Office of INTERMODAL Planning and Investment

Price to Rent Ratio in the United States increased to 134.04 in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 133.46 in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for the United States Price to Rent Ratio.

In California, the estimated fair market rent for a two-bedroom accommodation amounted to ******U.S. dollars in 2025. It was one of the least affordable states in terms of housing that year, as someone would need to earn at least twice the minimum wage to afford a two-bedroom rental unit there.

National-level index measuring median 1-bedroom multifamily apartment asking rents across the United States in October 2025. This benchmark series captures national pricing trends, seasonal movements, and year-over-year changes in the U.S. multifamily housing market.

United States Median Asking Monthly Rent data was reported at 1,003.000 USD in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 951.000 USD for Jun 2018. United States Median Asking Monthly Rent data is updated quarterly, averaging 588.000 USD from Mar 1988 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 123 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,003.000 USD in Sep 2018 and a record low of 330.000 USD in Mar 1988. United States Median Asking Monthly Rent data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB009: Median Asking Monthly Rent.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Rent of Primary Residence in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA (CBSA) (CUURA423SEHA) from Dec 1914 to Jan 2026 about Seattle, primary, rent, WA, urban, consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Median Asking Monthly Rent: South data was reported at 973.000 USD in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 928.000 USD for Jun 2018. Median Asking Monthly Rent: South data is updated quarterly, averaging 551.000 USD from Mar 1988 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 123 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 973.000 USD in Sep 2018 and a record low of 298.000 USD in Jun 1989. Median Asking Monthly Rent: South data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB009: Median Asking Monthly Rent.

In January 2026, New York, NY, was the most expensive rental market for one-bedroom apartments in the United States. The median monthly rental rate of an apartment in New York was ***** U.S. dollars, while in San Francisco, CA which ranked second highest, renters paid on average ***** U.S. dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States (RRVRUSQ156N) from Q1 1956 to Q4 2025 about vacancy, rent, rate, and USA.