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.
The median monthly rent for all apartment types in the U.S. has stabilized since 2022, despite some seasonal fluctuations. In August 2025, 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 North Carolina and three times as much as the average wage in Arkansas. 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 2025, some of the most expensive states to rent an apartment only saw a moderate increase in rental prices. Nevertheless, rents increased in most states as of August 2025. In West Virginia, the annual rental growth was the highest, at ***** percent.
The average monthly rent of apartments in California increased substantially 2021, followed by a period of stabilization. In May 2024, the average rent of a two-bedroom apartment cost over ***** U.S. dollars, up from ***** U.S. dollars in December 2020 before rents started to rise. Nevertheless, not all cities saw rents rise at the same pace.
VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR List Rents (EC9)
FULL MEASURE NAME List Rents
LAST UPDATED October 2016
DESCRIPTION List rent refers to the advertised rents for available rental housing and serves as a measure of housing costs for new households moving into a neighborhood, city, county or region.
DATA SOURCE real Answers (1994 – 2015) no link
Zillow Metro Median Listing Price All Homes (2010-2016) http://www.zillow.com/research/data/
CONTACT INFORMATION vitalsigns.info@mtc.ca.gov
METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator) List rents data reflects median rent prices advertised for available apartments rather than median rent payments; more information is available in the indicator definition above. Regional and local geographies rely on data collected by real Answers, a research organization and database publisher specializing in the multifamily housing market. real Answers focuses on collecting longitudinal data for individual rental properties through quarterly surveys. For the Bay Area, their database is comprised of properties with 40 to 3,000+ housing units. Median list prices most likely have an upward bias due to the exclusion of smaller properties. The bias may be most extreme in geographies where large rental properties represent a small portion of the overall rental market. A map of the individual properties surveyed is included in the Local Focus section.
Individual properties surveyed provided lower- and upper-bound ranges for the various types of housing available (studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, etc.). Median lower- and upper-bound prices are determined across all housing types for the regional and county geographies. The median list price represented in Vital Signs is the average of the median lower- and upper-bound prices for the region and counties. Median upper-bound prices are determined across all housing types for the city geographies. The median list price represented in Vital Signs is the median upper-bound price for cities. For simplicity, only the mean list rent is displayed for the individual properties. The metro areas geography rely upon Zillow data, which is the median price for rentals listed through www.zillow.com during the month. Like the real Answers data, Zillow's median list prices most likely have an upward bias since small properties are underrepresented in Zillow's listings. The metro area data for the Bay Area cannot be compared to the regional Bay Area data. Due to afore mentioned data limitations, this data is suitable for analyzing the change in list rents over time but not necessarily comparisons of absolute list rents. Metro area boundaries reflects today’s metro area definitions by county for consistency, rather than historical metro area boundaries.
Due to the limited number of rental properties surveyed, city-level data is unavailable for Atherton, Belvedere, Brisbane, Calistoga, Clayton, Cloverdale, Cotati, Fairfax, Half Moon Bay, Healdsburg, Hillsborough, Los Altos Hills, Monte Sereno, Moranga, Oakley, Orinda, Portola Valley, Rio Vista, Ross, San Anselmo, San Carlos, Saratoga, Sebastopol, Windsor, Woodside, and Yountville.
Inflation-adjusted data are presented to illustrate how rents have grown relative to overall price increases; that said, the use of the Consumer Price Index does create some challenges given the fact that housing represents a major chunk of consumer goods bundle used to calculate CPI. This reflects a methodological tradeoff between precision and accuracy and is a common concern when working with any commodity that is a major component of CPI itself. Percent change in inflation-adjusted median is calculated with respect to the median price from the fourth quarter or December of the base year.
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.
The average monthly rent of apartments in Florida increased substantially in 2021, followed by two years of slight decrease. As of ********, the average rent of a two-bedroom apartment in Florida cost ***** U.S. dollars, which was an increase of *** U.S. dollars from ******** when prices started to rise.
U.S. Government Workshttps://www.usa.gov/government-works
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Data about the average market rent for one and two bedroom apartments in San Mateo County. This dataset includes apartment vacancy rates and the US Housing and Urban Development Department's fair market rent for each quarter.
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Graph and download economic data for Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Rent of Primary Residence in U.S. City Average (CUUR0000SEHA) from Dec 1914 to Aug 2025 about primary, rent, urban, consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.
The monthly rent for *********** apartments in San Francisco and Bay Area has fluctuated since 2015. In 2023, the median monthly rent for a *********** apartment in San Francisco was ***** U.S. dollars, down from ***** U.S. dollars in 2021.
This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (247 items: Carbonear; Newfoundland and Labrador; Corner Brook; Newfoundland and Labrador; Grand Falls-Windsor; Newfoundland and Labrador; Gander; Newfoundland and Labrador ...), Type of structure (4 items: Apartment structures of three units and over; Apartment structures of six units and over; Row and apartment structures of three units and over; Row structures of three units and over ...), Type of unit (4 items: Two bedroom units; Three bedroom units; One bedroom units; Bachelor units ...).
The average monthly rent in California for a two-bedroom apartment was ***** U.S. dollars in 2025, while a one-bedroom unit cost ******U.S. dollars. Only renters who earn the area median income (AMI) can afford two-bedroom housing in California. Rent affordable to renters with full-time jobs at mean renter wage, or 30 percent area median income, was lower than the fair market rent of a two-bedroom and one-bedroom apartment in California, making this housing in this state not affordable for them. The rent in California ranked highest among all other states in the United States for a two bedroom apartment in 2025.
As of January 2025, 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.In 2025, the average monthly rent in the U.S. declined slightly. Nevertheless, in rents increased in most states, with West Virginia registering the highest growth.
The median rent for one- and two-bedroom apartments in Dallas, Texas, amounted to ***** U.S. dollars by the end of 2023. Rents decreased slightly after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but this trend quickly reversed, in April 2022, the annual rental growth reached its peak at around ** percent. Among the different states in the U.S., Texas ranks as one of the mid-price range rental markets.
The median rent for one- and two-bedroom apartments in Chicago, Illinois, amounted to about 1,663 U.S. dollars in January 2025. Rents soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, with February 2022 experiencing the highest year-on-year increase of nearly 16 percent. Growth has since mellowed, with the average rental increase amounting to 1.7 percent in January 2025. Among the different states, Illinois ranked alongside Texas, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania in terms of rental costs.
The median rent for one- and two-bedroom apartments in Austin, Texas, amounted to ***** U.S. dollars by the end of April 2025. Prices increased slightly after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but in November 2021, rents surged by almost ** percent. Finally, in April 2025, the rental growth rate experienced a decrease of **** percent. Among the different states in the U.S., Texas ranks as one of the mid-price range rental markets.
The median rent for one- and two-bedroom apartments in El Paso, Texas, amounted to ***** U.S. dollars by the end of 2023. The rents have increased steadily since September 2018. The highest annual increase was observed in April 2022, when rents rose by nearly ** percent. Among the different states in the U.S., Texas ranks as one of the mid-price range rental markets.
In 2023, the average price per square meter for rental apartments in France was the highest in Paris. In the French capital, the average price per square meter for rental flats reached almost ** euros, compared to ** euros in the second-largest French city, Marseille. Not only is Paris the most expensive city in France for renting an accommodation, it is also one of the most expensive in Europe.
Paris housing crisis
The Paris region is the most populated area of France. It is also the most densely populated region of the country. In a very centralized country like France, the capital appears to be the center of the majority of economic and cultural activities, as well as the home of an important number of universities. Finding accommodation is becoming more and more difficult in a city which also attracts millions of tourists every year. The average cost of an apartment in Paris amounted to more than 10,000 euros per square meter, compared to nearly ***** euros per square meter in the French second-largest agglomeration: Lyon.
The consequences of high prices in housing
In Paris, renting a two-bedroom apartment costed more than ***** US dollars in 2018, making the city one of the most expensive worldwide. To cope with this price boom, residents of the Paris metropolitan area often live in one of the many suburbs of the city. Furthermore, the pollution of the French capital, as well as its traffic jams and congested public transports, often lead Parisians to change their lives and move elsewhere after a few years. In 2015, Bordeaux was named most attractive city to live in France. Paris was only ranked eighth.
Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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The Rental Report time series dataset provides detailed time-series statistics for some key Rental Report data from the June quarter of 1999 to the December quarter of 2017. This specific dataset presents the median rental costs of 2 bedroom flats by the 2016 Local Government Areas geographic level. The rent figures included in the Rental Report are weekly median rents. Median rents represent the midpoint in the distribution of all rents. Fifty per cent of rents are higher than the median and fifty per cent are below the median. The Rental Report provides the most accurate information on the private rental market in Victoria. The data come from records kept by the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA). The RTBA is responsible for receiving, registering and refunding all bonds associated with private residential leases in Victoria. For more information please visit the Department of Health and Human Services.
TRREB Releases 2022 Q4 Rental Market Statistics Average condominium apartment rents continued to increase by double-digit annual rates in the fourth quarter of 2022. However, while market conditions remained tight enough to support very strong rent growth, there was more balance in the rental marketplace compared to the same period a year earlier in 2021. The number of condominium apartment rental transactions reported through the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board9s (TRREB) MLS® System was down on a yearover-year basis by 19.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2022. The number of rental listings was also down over the same period, but by a lesser annual rate of 11.8 per cent. The fact that the number of units leased was down by more than the number of units listed suggests that would-be renters benefitted from more choice compared to a year ago. "Strong population growth based on record immigration and robust job creation across a diversity of economic sectors drove rental demand in 2022. In addition, aggressive interest rate hikes by the Bank of Canada impacted affordability for many households, prompting a shift from homeownership to rental. All of these factors will continue to support strong rental demand in 2023," said TRREB President Paul Baron. The average rent for a one-bedroom condominium apartment increased by 19 per cent to $2,503 in the fourth quarter of 2022. Over the same period, the average two-bedroom rent increased by 14.1 per cent to $3,178. "Tight rental market conditions and strong rent increases will be the norm more often than not for the foreseeable future. On one hand, we will continue to experience strong rental demand in the GTA based on solid fundamentals. On the other hand, the persistent supply shortage will continue to result in strong competition between wouldbe renters, exerting upward pressure on rents. The solution is no secret: we need to see new policies pointed on more supply to translate into shovels in the ground for many years to come," said TRREB Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer.
In 2022, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa Clara were the most expensive districts for housing in the San Francisco Bay Area. In San Francisco, the average square footage price of single-family homes exceeded 1,000 U.S. dollars per square foot. Housing in Solano, on the other hand, was most affordable, with the average square footage price for single family homes at 370 U.S. dollars.
How expensive is buying a home in San Francisco? Few metros in the U.S. are more expensive than San Francisco, CA. In 2022, the median sales price of existing single-family homes in San Francisco was about 1.4 million U.S. dollars, making it the second priciest market in the U.S. House prices in the Golden City, were not always so high: in 2014, a two-bedroom house in the Bay Area would sell for less than 500,000 U.S. dollars but since then, the median price has more than doubled.
How much does renting an apartment cost? Despite rents falling in 2020, renting in San Francisco is still far from cheap. Renting a two-bedroom apartment cost close to 4,000 U.S. dollars in 2021. California is one of the least affordable states for renters. In fact, to afford to rent such an apartment, a household needs approximately three full time jobs at minimum wage or two full time jobs at mean wage.
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.