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.

The 2006 Second Edition TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Census TIGER database. The geographic coverage for a single TIGER/Line file is a county or statistical equivalent entity, with the coverage area based on the latest available governmental unit boundaries. The Census TIGER database represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts. However, each county-based TIGER/Line file is designed to stand alone as an independent data set or the files can be combined to cover the whole Nation. The 2006 Second Edition TIGER/Line files consist of line segments representing physical features and governmental and statistical boundaries. This shapefile represents the current State House Districts for New Mexico as posted on the Census Bureau website for 2006.

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.

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR
Rent Payments (EC8)

FULL MEASURE NAME
Median rent payment

LAST UPDATED
January 2023

DESCRIPTION
Rent payments refer to the cost of leasing an apartment or home and serves as a measure of housing costs for individuals who do not own a home. The data reflect the median monthly rent paid by Bay Area households across apartments and homes of various sizes and various levels of quality. This differs from advertised rents for available apartments, which usually are higher. Note that rent can be presented using nominal or real (inflation-adjusted) dollar values; data are presented inflation-adjusted to reflect changes in household purchasing power over time.

DATA SOURCE
U.S. Census Bureau: Decennial Census - https://nhgis.org
Count 2 (1970)
Form STF1 (1980-1990)
Form SF3a (2000)

U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey - https://data.census.gov/
Form B25058 (2005-2021; median contract rent)

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index - https://www.bls.gov/data/
1970-2021

CONTACT INFORMATION
vitalsigns.info@mtc.ca.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator)
Rent data reflects median rent payments rather than list rents (refer to measure definition above). American Community Survey 1-year data is used for larger geographies – Bay counties and most metropolitan area counties – while smaller geographies rely upon 5-year rolling average data due to their smaller sample sizes. Note that 2020 data uses the 5-year estimates because the ACS did not collect 1-year data for 2020.

1970 Census data for median rent payments has been imputed from quintiles using methodology from California Department of Finance as the source data only provided the mean, rather than the median, monthly rent. Metro area boundaries reflects today’s metro area definitions by county for consistency, rather than historical metro area boundaries.

Inflation-adjusted data are presented to illustrate how rent payments have grown relative to overall price increases; that said, the use of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) 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.

The average monthly home rental payment in the United Kingdom (UK) increased steadily since 2008, reaching 1, 258 British pounds in December 2023. In comparison, the average home buying costs amounted to 1,231 British Pounds that year, meaning that homeowners saved 27 British pounds monthly from the difference.

Amsterdam is set to maintain its position as Europe's most expensive city for apartment rentals in 2025, with median costs reaching 2,500 euros per month for a furnished unit. This figure is double the rent in Prague and significantly higher than other major European capitals like Paris, Berlin, and Madrid. The stark difference in rental costs across European cities reflects broader economic trends, housing policies, and the complex interplay between supply and demand in urban centers. Factors driving rental costs across Europe The disparity in rental prices across European cities can be attributed to various factors. In countries like Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, a higher proportion of the population lives in rental housing. This trend contributes to increased demand and potentially higher living costs in these nations. Conversely, many Eastern and Southern European countries have homeownership rates exceeding 90 percent, which may help keep rental prices lower in those regions. Housing affordability and market dynamics The relationship between housing prices and rental rates varies significantly across Europe. As of 2024, countries like Turkey, Iceland, Portugal, and Hungary had the highest house price to rent ratio indices. This indicates a widening gap between property values and rental costs since 2015. The affordability of homeownership versus renting differs greatly among European nations, with some countries experiencing rapid increases in property values that outpace rental growth. These market dynamics influence rental costs and contribute to the diverse rental landscape observed across European cities.

Between 2008 and 2024, the average weekly rent for private renters in England has shown a significant increase. In the 2009, the average rent was 153 British pounds, and by 2024, it had risen to 237 British pounds. Excluding London, the average rent started at 130 British pounds in 2009 and reached 191 British pounds in 2024, demonstrating a similar upward trend but at a lower rate compared to the overall average in England. Rental households in England Renting is common in England. Nearly one in five households occupied a dwelling that was privately rented in 2024. While the majority of households in the country live in an owner-occupied home, this percentage has declined since the early 2000s. Meanwhile, the share of households occupying a private rental has doubled over the past decade. This shows a growing rental sector and a shift in tenure trends in the country. Buying vs renting costs For a long time, the average monthly costs of buying a home were lower than renting. In 2021, housing costs started to increase steeply, closely followed by rental costs. This resulted in the gap nearly closing in 2023. This trend can also be observed through the house price to rent ratio - an index that follows the development of house prices relative to rents, with 2015 as a baseline year. Between 2015 and 2022, the ratio grew steadily, indicating that property prices rise faster than rents. However, with rental growth accelerating and catching up with property prices in 2022, the index declined notably.

The median monthly asking rent of single family homes and apartments in Manhattan, New York plummeted in 2020, following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. The average rent in Upper East Side fell to ***** U.S. dollars, only to surge in the next two years. In 2024, a residential property in Downtown Manhattan had an average rent of nearly ***** U.S. dollars.

Rent estimates at the 50th percentile (or median) are calculated for all Fair Market Rent areas. Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are primarily used to determine payment standard amounts for the Housing Choice Voucher program, to determine initial renewal rents for some expiring project-based Section 8 contracts, to determine initial rents for housing assistance payment (HAP) contracts in the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program (Mod Rehab), and to serve as a rent ceiling in the HOME rental assistance program. FMRs are gross rent estimates. They include the shelter rent plus the cost of all tenant-paid utilities, except telephones, cable or satellite television service, and internet service. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annually estimates FMRs for 530 metropolitan areas and 2,045 nonmetropolitan county FMR areas. Under certain conditions, as set forth in the Interim Rule (Federal Register Vol. 65, No. 191, Monday October 2, 2000, pages 58870-58875), these 50th percentile rents can be used to set success rate payment standards.

The 2006 Second Edition TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Census TIGER database. The geographic coverage for a single TIGER/Line file is a county or statistical equivalent entity, with the coverage area based on the latest available governmental unit boundaries. The Census TIGER database represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts. However, each county-based TIGER/Line file is designed to stand alone as an independent data set or the files can be combined to cover the whole Nation. The 2006 Second Edition TIGER/Line files consist of line segments representing physical features and governmental and statistical boundaries. This shapefile represents the current State Senate Districts for New Mexico as posted on the Census Bureau website for 2006.

Price to Rent Ratio in the United States increased to 134.20 in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 133.60 in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for the United States Price to Rent Ratio.

NOTE: Data based on a sample except in P3, P4, H3, and H4. For.information on confidentiality protection, sampling error,.nonsampling error, definitions, and count corrections see.http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf3.pdf

NOTE: Data based on a sample except in P3, P4, H3, and H4. For.information on confidentiality protection, sampling error,.nonsampling error, definitions, and count corrections see.http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf3.pdf

Graph and download economic data for Average Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (ASPUS) from Q1 1963 to Q2 2025 about sales, housing, and USA.

Rent estimates at the 50th percentile (or median) are calculated for all Fair Market Rent areas. THESE ARE NOT FAIR MARKET RENTS. Under certain conditions, as set forth in the Interim Rule (Federal Register Vol. 65, No. 191, Monday October 2, 2000, pages 58870-58875), these 50th percentile rents can be used to set success rate payment standards. FY2010-FY2012. Note that data included herein are aggregated from individual files listed in main URL field below.

NOTE: Data based on a sample except in P3, P4, H3, and H4. For.information on confidentiality protection, sampling error,.nonsampling error, definitions, and count corrections see.http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf3.pdf

NOTE: Data based on a sample except in P3, P4, H3, and H4. For.information on confidentiality protection, sampling error,.nonsampling error, definitions, and count corrections see.http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/slds.pdf

Syria Retail Trade Price Index: Rent data was reported at 162.000 2000=100 in 2005. This records an increase from the previous number of 134.000 2000=100 for 2004. Syria Retail Trade Price Index: Rent data is updated yearly, averaging 103.000 2000=100 from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2005, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 162.000 2000=100 in 2005 and a record low of 100.000 2000=100 in 2000. Syria Retail Trade Price Index: Rent data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Central Bureau of Statistics . The data is categorized under Global Database’s Syrian Arab Republic – Table SY.I009: Retail Trade Price Index: 2000=100.

Slovenia SI: Rent Price Index: sa data was reported at 170.500 2015=100 in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 160.237 2015=100 for 2023. Slovenia SI: Rent Price Index: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 101.488 2015=100 from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2024, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 170.500 2015=100 in 2024 and a record low of 56.560 2015=100 in 2000. Slovenia SI: Rent Price Index: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Slovenia – Table SI.OECD.AHPI: House Price Index: Seasonally Adjusted: OECD Member: Annual.

Netherlands Consumer Price Index (CPI): HE: Imputed Rent Value data was reported at 119.400 2000=100 in Dec 2006. This stayed constant from the previous number of 119.400 2000=100 for Nov 2006. Netherlands Consumer Price Index (CPI): HE: Imputed Rent Value data is updated monthly, averaging 108.800 2000=100 from Jan 2000 (Median) to Dec 2006, with 84 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 119.400 2000=100 in Dec 2006 and a record low of 98.700 2000=100 in Jun 2000. Netherlands Consumer Price Index (CPI): HE: Imputed Rent Value data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Netherlands. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.I007: Consumer Price Index: 2000=100.