Living in America has never been more expensive. As inflation continues its upward trajectory, rent has continued to skyrocket as well. Across the 50 largest major metropolitan areas in the country, the median rent hit a new record high of $1,827 in April 2022, according to Realtor.com, and nationwide, rents may have surpassed $2,000 for the first time in May, according to Redfin.
After dipping throughout 2020 and in early 2021, the median cost of rent has increased rapidly. From April 2021 to April 2022, the median rent increased by 16.7%, though in some areas that increase has been even more significant. (These are the metros where families pay the least for housing.)
To determine the cities where rent is rising the fastest, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the April Rental Report from Realtor.com. The 50 largest major metropolitan areas were ranked based on the year-over-year increase in overall median rent from April 2021 to April 2022. Population and income data are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey.
The increase in rent in the 50 metro areas on the list ranges between 13.5% to over 51%. And though rents increased in all of the 50 largest metro areas over the past year, metros in certain regions had much more dramatic spikes. Many of the metro areas with the largest increases in rent are in the Sun Belt region in the southeastern part of the country. The only three metro areas in which rent increased by more than 26% from April 2021 to April 2022 are all located in Florida.
Conversely, nearly all of the major metro areas where rent rose the least over the past year were in colder areas in the Midwest and Northeast. A Realtor.com analysis found that many prospective renters sought out warmer climates, driving prices up in the South and West and leaving them relatively flat elsewhere. These are the cities where people pay the lowest housing costs.
Click here to see 25 cities where rent is skyrocketing.
25. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
> Rent increase, year over year: +13.5%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,923
> Population: 9,478,801
> Median household income: $74,621
[in-text-ad]
24. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
> Rent increase, year over year: +13.6%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,204
> Population: 1,262,287
> Median household income: $60,891
23. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
> Rent increase, year over year: +15.3%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,970
> Population: 2,928,437
> Median household income: $83,289
22. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
> Rent increase, year over year: +16.7%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,829
> Population: 5,947,008
> Median household income: $71,193
[in-text-ad-2]
21. Richmond, VA
> Rent increase, year over year: +17.0%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,435
> Population: 1,282,067
> Median household income: $71,223
20. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
> Rent increase, year over year: +17.2%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $2,165
> Population: 3,928,498
> Median household income: $90,790
[in-text-ad]
19. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
> Rent increase, year over year: +18.0%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $2,845
> Population: 19,261,570
> Median household income: $81,951
24/7 Wall St.
18. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
> Rent increase, year over year: +19.4%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,385
> Population: 2,510,211
> Median household income: $61,437
17. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
> Rent increase, year over year: +19.5%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,675
> Population: 2,595,027
> Median household income: $65,725
[in-text-ad-2]
16. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
> Rent increase, year over year: +19.9%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $3,165
> Population: 1,985,926
> Median household income: $129,343
15. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
> Rent increase, year over year: +20.1%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,915
> Population: 4,860,338
> Median household income: $67,068
[in-text-ad]
14. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
> Rent increase, year over year: +20.9%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $3,016
> Population: 13,211,027
> Median household income: $76,399
13. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
> Rent increase, year over year: +21.3%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,655
> Population: 7,451,858
> Median household income: $72,882
12. Memphis, TN-MS-AR
> Rent increase, year over year: +22.0%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,409
> Population: 1,343,150
> Median household income: $53,896
[in-text-ad-2]
11. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
> Rent increase, year over year: +22.7%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $2,825
> Population: 4,854,808
> Median household income: $93,537
10. Jacksonville, FL
> Rent increase, year over year: +23.3%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,600
> Population: 1,533,796
> Median household income: $63,064
[in-text-ad]
9. Raleigh, NC
> Rent increase, year over year: +23.9%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,615
> Population: 1,362,997
> Median household income: $78,706
24/7 Wall St.
8. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
> Rent increase, year over year: +24.2%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,760
> Population: 1,904,186
> Median household income: $68,406
7. Austin-Round Rock, TX
> Rent increase, year over year: +24.7%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,800
> Population: 2,173,804
> Median household income: $80,852
[in-text-ad-2]
6. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
> Rent increase, year over year: +24.8%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,649
> Population: 2,228,866
> Median household income: $61,048
5. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
> Rent increase, year over year: +25.4%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $2,200
> Population: 1,621,099
> Median household income: $70,676
[in-text-ad]
4. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
> Rent increase, year over year: +25.6%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $3,125
> Population: 3,323,970
> Median household income: $82,426
24/7 Wall St.
3. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
> Rent increase, year over year: +27.8%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $2,163
> Population: 3,152,928
> Median household income: $57,097
2. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
> Rent increase, year over year: +32.9%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $1,927
> Population: 2,560,260
> Median household income: $61,229
[in-text-ad-2]
1. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
> Rent increase, year over year: +51.6%
> Median rent, Apr. 2022: $2,800
> Population: 6,129,858
> Median household income: $59,030
Find a Qualified Financial Advisor (Sponsor)
Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.