National Overview

U.S. Rental Market at a Glance (2025)

The national rental market has cooled from its 2022 peak but remains well above pre-pandemic levels. These headline figures set the context for city-level comparisons.

$1,636
National Avg Rent (All Units)
+0.9% year-over-year as of June 2025.
Apartments.com Rent Report, June 2025
$1,363
Median U.S. Rent (Census)
Down 5.5% from 2022 peak.
Apartment List National Rent Report, March 2025
$1,671
HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent (National)
FY2025 FMR at the 40th percentile; 1BR FMR: $1,393.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2025
22.4M
Cost-Burdened Renter Households
Households spending more than 30% of income on housing.
iPropertyManagement research, 2025 (citing HUD data)
City Data

Average Rent by Major City (2025)

Data represents average 1-bedroom rents from Dwellsy IQ (October 2025) for major metros, combined with HUD FY2025 Fair Market Rent for 2BR benchmarks.

#City / MetroAvg 1BR RentHUD 2BR FMRYoY ChangeMarket Tier

1BR average rents from Dwellsy IQ (Oct 2025). 2BR FMRs from HUD FY2025.

Average 1BR Rent — Top 10 Most & Least Expensive Cities

Source: Dwellsy IQ, October 2025 · National avg: $1,636/mo (Apartments.com, June 2025)

State-Level

Average Rent by State (2025)

State averages from Apartments.com (June 2025).

StateAvg Monthly Rent2BR HUD FMRTrend vs. 2024
Hawaii$2,400+$2,558📈 High
California$2,200$2,580📈 Rising
Massachusetts$2,100$2,200+📈 Rising
New York$2,050$2,394📈 NYC Increase
New Jersey$1,900$1,950+➡️ Stable
Oklahoma$903$950✅ Lowest avg.
Renter Strategy

Smart Strategies for Renters in 2025

  • 📅

    Sign in Winter

    Rents are typically 5–8% lower in Nov–Feb than in peak summer months. Landlords offer better concessions — free months, reduced deposits — when demand is lowest.

  • 📊

    Use HUD FMR as Your Benchmark

    HUD's Fair Market Rents give you a transparent baseline. Available at HUD.gov for every metro.

  • 🏙️

    Consider Adjacent Neighborhoods

    In most metros, rents drop 10–25% just 2–3 miles from the most popular ZIP codes.

FAQ

Rental Market FAQ

The average rent in the U.S. as of June 2025 is approximately $1,636/month across all unit types, according to Apartments.com. The national median rent is lower at about $1,363/month (Apartment List).
The traditional "30% rule" — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — remains the widely accepted benchmark. HUD defines households spending more than 30% as "cost-burdened."
Conditions have improved somewhat from the 2022 peak. Apartment List reports national median rent has fallen 5.5% from its mid-2022 peak.

Sources

Apartments.com National Rent Report (June 2025) · HUD FY2025 Fair Market Rents · Dwellsy IQ (Oct 2025) · Apartment List National Rent Report (March 2025)