Rental Market News
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
Newly Built Apartments Are Filling Up at the Slowest Pace Since 2020
47% of U.S. apartments that were completed in the fourth quarter were rented within three months, down from 60% a year earlier. There are more
Renters Must Earn $66,120 to Afford the Typical U.S. Apartment. The Typical Renter Makes $11,000 Less Than That.
Just 39% of renters make enough to afford the median-priced apartment. The income renters need to afford the typical apartment is the highest since 2022
U.S. Asking Rents Ticked Up for Second Straight Month in May, Hitting Highest Level Since 2022
The median asking rent climbed 0.8% year over year to $1,653—just $47 below the record high. Washington, D.C., Cincinnati and Chicago all saw double-digit increases.
Renters Are Staying Put Longer, With 1 in 6 Now Living in The Same Home For 10 Years or More
U.S. renters are less likely to move than they were a decade ago, as soaring housing costs have priced many out of homeownership. The rise
The Sun Belt Is Seeing Some of the Biggest Rent Declines in America
Nine of the 10 metros facing the steepest drops in asking rents are in the Sun Belt. The exception is Seattle, where rents fell 7%
Nearly 40% of Renters Think They’ll Never Own a Home, Up From 27% Last Year
Rising home prices and mortgage rates are making it harder to believe in the American dream of homeownership. Lack of affordability is the most commonly