Rental Market News
U.S. Asking Rents Ended 2024 at the Lowest Level in Nearly Three Years
The median asking rent fell 0.3% year over year in December to $1,594, the lowest since March 2022. Austin, TX posted the biggest decline, with
America’s Renters Are Moving Less Than Ever, With a Third Staying in the Same Home for at Least 5 Years
33.6% of U.S. renters have lived in the same home for at least five years, up from 28.4% a decade ago. Baby boomers stay put
New Apartments Fill Up Slower, Returning to Pre-Pandemic Speeds Amid Construction Boom
52% of U.S. apartments were rented within three months, down from 54% a quarter earlier. Newly-built 3+ bedroom apartments rented out faster in the third
Asking Rents for Newly Built Apartments Rise 1.5%, the Biggest Spike in 18 Months
The median asking rent for a new apartment rose 1.5% year over year to $1,802 in the third quarter. Asking rents fell in the Northeast,
Asking Rents Fall 0.7% to Lowest Level Since March 2022
The median asking rent fell 0.7% year over year in November to $1,595, dropping 1.1% month over month. The asking price per square foot for
Renters on a $2,000 Budget Can Afford 70 More Square Feet Than They Could During the Pandemic. That’s Enough for a Small Office.
A renter on a $2,000-a-month budget can afford an 1,103-square-foot apartment, up from 1,029 square feet when rents peaked in 2022. Renters are getting more
U.S. Asking Rents Rose 0.4% in February—A Small Increase, But the First in 6 Months
Landlords may have more leeway to raise rents next year because apartment construction is slowing, which could eventually lead to more renters than vacant units.
D.C. Rents Up 2.7% in February Following 3 Months of Declines; Too Soon to Tell if Whether Federal Job Cuts Will Affect the Market
The median rent in the District of Columbia rose 2.7% year over year in February, following three months of declines. Rents have been falling most

A Minimum-Wage Worker Would Have to Work 106 Hours a Week to Afford the Typical U.S. Apartment
That’s down from a peak of 125 hours when rents hit a record high in 2022. New Hampshire’s minimum-wage workers have to toil longest to
Austin Asking Rents Drop 16% in January—More Than Any Other Major Metro—And Are Now $400 Below Their Record High
Nationwide, the median asking rent was little changed from a year earlier, down 0.1% to $1,599. But rents may inch up if demand outstrips supply
Downtown Seattle Rents Rise for the First Time in 17 Months as Amazon Workers Go Back to the Office Full Time
The median asking rent for an apartment in downtown Seattle grew 2.5% year over year in December to $2,000—the first rise in 17 months. Seattle
Renters Need to Earn $63,680 to Afford the Typical U.S. Apartment—the Lowest Amount in 3 Years
Renters need to earn $63,680 to afford the median asking rent for a U.S. apartment—the lowest income required since early 2022. Texas metros Austin, Houston