In District of Columbia, the average rent per square foot was 2.95 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.

Rents for industrial real estate in the U.S. have increased since 2017, with flexible/service space reaching the highest price per square foot in 2024. In just a year, the cost of, flex/service space rose by nearly five U.S. dollars per square foot. Manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and distribution centers had lower rents and experienced milder growth. Los Angeles, Orange County, and Inland Empire, California, are some of the most expensive markets in the country. Office real estate is pricier Industrial real estate is far from being the most expensive commercial property type. For instance, average rental rates in major U.S. metros for office space are much higher than those for industrial space. This is most likely because office units are generally located in urban areas where there is limited space and thus higher demand, whereas industrial units are more suited to the outskirts of such urban areas. Industrial units, such as warehouses or factories, require much more space because they need to house large, heavy equipment or serve as a storage unit for future shipments. Big-box distribution space is gaining in importance Warehouses and distribution may currently command the lowest average rent per square foot among industrial space types, but the growing popularity of the asset class has earned it considerable gains over the past years. In 2021 and 2022, high occupier demand and insufficient supply led to soaring taking rent of big-box buildings. During that time, the vacancy rate of distribution centers fell below six percent. The development of industrial and logistics facilities has accelerated since then, with the new supply coming to market causing the vacancy rate to increase and the pressures on rent to ease.

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR Home Prices (EC7)

FULL MEASURE NAME Home Prices

LAST UPDATED August 2019

DESCRIPTION Home prices refer to the cost of purchasing one’s own house or condominium. While a significant share of residents may choose to rent, home prices represent a primary driver of housing affordability in a given region, county or city.

DATA SOURCE Zillow Median Sale Price (1997-2018) http://www.zillow.com/research/data/

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index All Urban Consumers Data Table (1997-2018; specific to each metro area) http://data.bls.gov

CONTACT INFORMATION vitalsigns.info@bayareametro.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator) Median housing price estimates for the region, counties, cities, and zip code come from analysis of individual home sales by Zillow. The median sale price is the price separating the higher half of the sales from the lower half. In other words, 50 percent of home sales are below or above the median value. Zillow defines all homes as single-family residential, condominium, and co-operative homes with a county record. Single-family residences are detached, which means the home is an individual structure with its own lot. Condominiums are units that you own in a multi-unit complex, such as an apartment building. Co-operative homes are slightly different from condominiums where the homeowners own shares in the corporation that owns the building, not the actual units themselves.

For metropolitan area comparison values, the Bay Area metro area’s median home sale price is the population-weighted average of the nine counties’ median home prices. Home sales prices are not reliably available for Houston, because Texas is a non-disclosure state. For more information on non-disclosure states, see: http://www.zillow.com/blog/chronicles-of-data-collection-ii-non-disclosure-states-3783/

Inflation-adjusted data are presented to illustrate how home prices 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.

What is Rental Data?

Rental data encompasses detailed information about residential rental properties, including single-family homes, multifamily units, and large apartment complexes. This data often includes key metrics such as rental prices, occupancy rates, property amenities, and detailed property descriptions. Advanced rental datasets integrate listings directly sourced from property management software systems, ensuring real-time accuracy and eliminating reliance on outdated or scraped information.

Additional Rental Data Details

The rental data is sourced from over 20,000 property managers via direct feeds and property management platforms, covering over 30 percent of the national rental housing market for diverse and broad representation. Real-time updates ensure data remains current, while verified listings enhance accuracy, avoiding errors typical of survey-based or scraped datasets. The dataset includes 14+ million rental units with detailed descriptions, rich photography, and amenities, offering address-level granularity for precise market analysis. Its extensive coverage of small multifamily and single-family rentals sets it apart from competitors focused on premium multifamily properties.

Rental Data Includes:

• Property Types
• Single-Family Rentals
• Small Multi-family Units
• Premium Apartments
• 16,000+ ZIP Codes
• 800+ MSAs
• Pricing Trends
• Lease Terms Amenities

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR
Home Prices (EC7)

FULL MEASURE NAME
Home Prices

LAST UPDATED
December 2022

DESCRIPTION
Home prices refer to the cost of purchasing one’s own house or condominium. While a significant share of residents may choose to rent, home prices represent a primary driver of housing affordability in a given region, county or city.

DATA SOURCE
Zillow: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) - http://www.zillow.com/research/data/
2000-2021

California Department of Finance: E-4 Historical Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State - https://dof.ca.gov/forecasting/demographics/estimates/
2000-2021

US Census Population and Housing Unit Estimates - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html
2000-2021

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index - http://data.bls.gov
2000-2021

US Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/zctas.html
2020 Census Blocks

CONTACT INFORMATION
vitalsigns.info@bayareametro.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator)
Housing price estimates at the regional-, county-, city- and zip code-level come from analysis of individual home sales by Zillow based upon transaction records. Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is a smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure of the typical home value and market changes across a given region and housing type. It reflects the typical value for homes in the 35th to 65th percentile range. ZHVI is computed from public record transaction data as reported by counties. All standard real estate transactions are included in this metric, including REO sales and auctions. Zillow makes a substantial effort to remove transactions not typically considered a standard sale. Examples of these include bank takeovers of foreclosed properties, title transfers after a death or divorce and non arms-length transactions. Zillow defines all homes as single-family residential, condominium and co-operative homes with a county record. Single-family residences are detached, which means the home is an individual structure with its own lot. Condominiums are units that can be owned in a multi-unit complex, such as an apartment building. Co-operative homes are slightly different from condominiums in that the homeowners own shares in the corporation that owns the building, not the actual units themselves.

For metropolitan area comparison values, the Bay Area metro area’s median home sale price is the population-weighted average of the nine counties’ median home prices. Data is adjusted for inflation using Bureau of Labor Statistics metropolitan statistical area (MSA)-specific series. Inflation-adjusted data are presented to illustrate how home prices 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 the CPI itself.

Among the 30 markets with the largest industrial and logistics real estate inventory in the United States,Orange County, CA, had the highest rental rate in the first quarter of 2024. The square footage rent of warehouse and distribution centers was 20.59 U.S. dollars, while for manufacturing sites it was 19.22 U.S. dollars. In the largest market, Chicago, IL, rents were significantly lower, at less than seven U.S. dollars.

The Central Business District (CBD) was the most expensive market for office real estate rental in Houston, Texas in the second quarter of 2024. The average direct asking rental rate of office space was approximately 43 U.S. dollars per square feet, compared to 17.5 U.S. dollars per square feet in FM 1960. Among the major office markets in Texas, Dallas had the most inventory, while Austin had the highest rental rates.

The Inventory of Owned and Leased Properties (IOLP) allows users to search properties owned and leased by the General Services Administration (GSA) across the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa. The Owned and Leased Data Sets include the following data except where noted below for Leases: Location Code - GSA’s alphanumeric identifier for the building Real Property Asset Name - Allows users to find information about a specific building Installation Name - Allows users to identify whether a property is part of an installation, such as a campus Owned or Leased - Indicates the building is federally owned (F) or leased (L) GSA Region - GSA assigned region for building location Street Address/City/State/Zip Code - Building address Longitude and Latitude - Map coordinates of the building (only through .csv export) Rentable Square Feet - Total rentable square feet in building Available Square Feet - Vacant space in building Construction Date (Owned Only) - Year built Congressional District - Congressional District building is located Senator/Representative/URL - Senator/Representative of the Congressional District and their URL Building Status (Owned Only) - Indicates building is active Lease Number (Leased Only) - GSA’s alphanumeric identifier for the lease Lease Effective/Expiration Dates (Leased Only) - Date lease starts/expires Real Property Asset Type - Identifies a property as land, building, or structure

The Inventory of Owned and Leased Properties (IOLP) allows users to search properties owned and leased by the General Services Administration (GSA) across the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa.

The Owned and Leased Data Sets include the following data except where noted below for Leases:

• Location Code - GSA’s alphanumeric identifier for the building
• Owned or Leased - Indicates the building is Federally Owned (F) or Leased (L)
• GSA Region - GSA assigned region for building location.
• Street Address/City/State/Zip Code - Building Address.
• Latitude and Longitude - Map coordinates of the building.
• Building Rentable Square Feet - Total Rentable Square Feet in building.
• Available Square Feet - Vacant Space in building.
• Construction Date - Date of year built.
• Congressional District - Congressional District building is located. - Senator/Representative/URL - Senator/Representative of the Congressional District and their web address.

The Leased Data set also includes the following:

• Lease Number - GSA’s alphanumeric identifier for the lease.
• Lease Effective Date - Date lease starts.
• Lease Expiration Date - Date lease expires.