(© Vitalii Vodolazskyi - stock.adobe.com)
In A Nutshell
- Thirteen states now have median rents above $2,000 a month, up from 12 last year.
- For many renters, the real question is whether wages can catch up to housing costs.
- Rent growth has slowed, but prices remain high after years of sharp increases.
- Coastal and high-growth states dominate the list, while parts of the Midwest and South remain far cheaper.
Thirteen states now have median rents exceeding $2,000 per month, marking a new milestone in America’s housing affordability crisis. That’s one more state than last year, and renters in these high-cost areas are learning that even when the market “improves,” relief doesn’t mean rent prices get any smaller.
California leads the nation with a median rent of $2,895, followed closely by Hawaii at $2,869, Massachusetts at $2,595, and New York at $2,592. For renters in these states, paying more than $2,000 monthly isn’t an outlier, it’s the baseline. The gap between America’s most and least expensive rental markets is wider than it has been in years, with California renters paying nearly three times what residents of West Virginia shell out each month.
Why Rent Prices Are Still High Despite Market Cooling
The study, conducted by ConstructionCoverage.com, shows the rental market has shifted noticeably over the past year. Vacancy rates climbed back to about 7% by late 2025, matching pre-pandemic levels, and the pace of rent increases slowed from 8.7% annually in early 2023 to just 3.5% by fall 2025. More available apartments mean landlords can’t demand whatever they want anymore.
Unfortunately, slower rent growth doesn’t undo years of aggressive increases. Renters who watched their monthly payments jump 8% or more multiple years in a row aren’t getting that money back.
The States Where Rent Exceeds $2,000 Per Month
The thirteen states with median rents above $2,000 cluster along the coasts and in high-demand regions. After the top four, New Jersey comes in at $2,373, followed by Washington at $2,237, Florida at $2,220, Maryland at $2,195, New Hampshire at $2,143, Connecticut at $2,127, Colorado at $2,076, Nevada at $2,062, and Virginia at $2,011.
New Hampshire’s inclusion might surprise people who associate high rents exclusively with sprawling cities, but the state’s proximity to Boston’s job market and limited housing stock have pushed prices up steadily. Nevada’s $2,062 median reflects the impact of Las Vegas and Reno drawing workers and retirees while housing construction struggles to keep pace.
Florida’s $2,220 median represents a substantial shift from its historical position as a relatively affordable state. Population growth from people fleeing higher-cost states, limited geographic expansion due to coastal geography and environmental regulations, and a booming tourism economy have transformed the state’s rental market.
Where Rent Stays Below $1,300
West Virginia claims the title of most affordable state for renters at $1,126 per month, followed by South Dakota at $1,185 and North Dakota at $1,201. Mississippi, Iowa, Arkansas, Wyoming, Kentucky, Kansas, and Missouri all have median rents below $1,300. These states tend to have lower population density and less intense demand for housing, which helps keep rents down.
The difference is considerable. California’s $2,895 median could cover more than two full apartments in West Virginia with money left over. A renter paying Hawaii’s $2,869 median could afford two apartments in South Dakota and still have $500 monthly for other expenses.
The rental market split has been building for more than a decade. After the 2008 housing crash, construction of new homes and apartments plummeted and stayed depressed throughout the 2010s. During that same period, the Millennial generation (America’s largest with more than 72 million members) started reaching adulthood and competing for limited housing stock.
COVID-19 accelerated existing trends. Home prices shot up so fast that fewer people could afford to buy, pushing even more demand into rentals. On the supply side, inflation drove up construction costs, high interest rates made financing new projects expensive, and labor shortages slowed building to a crawl.
States with the highest rents typically face additional pressures. Strong local economies in California and Massachusetts draw workers willing to pay premium prices. Tourism-dependent Hawaii has limited land for development. Strict building regulations and zoning laws in coastal states make adding new housing units difficult and expensive.
Metro Rent Prices Show Even Larger Gaps
While state-level data shows big differences, drilling down to metropolitan areas reveals even more extreme disparities. San Jose tops the list at $3,865 per month, nearly four times the $1,334 median in St. Louis. California claims nine of the top ten most expensive metros overall.
Among small metros, Santa Cruz-Watsonville in California hits $4,279 monthly, while Fort Smith on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border comes in at just $1,051. That’s more than a four-fold difference based purely on location.
Developers have started responding to years of housing shortages. Enough new apartments came online that vacancy rates normalized and price growth slowed. But construction takes time, and the housing deficit that built up over more than a decade won’t disappear quickly. States with median rents above $2,000 will likely stay there unless construction accelerates considerably.
For millions of Americans in high-cost states, the question isn’t whether rent will go down, it’s whether wages can finally start catching up.
STATE RANKINGS
Most Expensive States
| Rank | State | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $2,895 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $2,869 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $2,595 |
| 4 | New York | $2,592 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $2,373 |
| 6 | Washington | $2,237 |
| 7 | Florida | $2,220 |
| 8 | Maryland | $2,195 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $2,143 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $2,127 |
| 11 | Colorado | $2,076 |
| 12 | Nevada | $2,062 |
| 13 | Virginia | $2,011 |
| 14 | Arizona | $1,986 |
| 15 | Oregon | $1,927 |
Least Expensive States
| Rank | State | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $1,126 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $1,185 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $1,201 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $1,202 |
| 5 | Iowa | $1,212 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $1,231 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $1,236 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $1,239 |
| 9 | Kansas | $1,247 |
| 10 | Missouri | $1,275 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $1,278 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $1,288 |
| 13 | Alabama | $1,290 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $1,295 |
| 15 | Ohio | $1,336 |
LARGE METROS (Population 1,000,000+)
Most Expensive Large Metros
| Rank | Metropolitan Area | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $3,865 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $3,442 |
| 3 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $3,360 |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $2,953 |
| 5 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $2,924 |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $2,839 |
| 7 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $2,681 |
| 8 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $2,600 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $2,593 |
| 10 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $2,593 |
| 11 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $2,457 |
| 12 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $2,299 |
| 13 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $2,251 |
| 14 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $2,248 |
| 15 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $2,151 |
Least Expensive Large Metros
| Rank | Metropolitan Area | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $1,334 |
| 2 | Tulsa, OK | $1,360 |
| 3 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $1,364 |
| 4 | Cleveland, OH | $1,384 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,412 |
| 6 | Oklahoma City, OK | $1,421 |
| 7 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $1,433 |
| 8 | Birmingham, AL | $1,467 |
| 9 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $1,472 |
| 10 | Omaha, NE-IA | $1,476 |
| 11 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $1,493 |
| 12 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $1,527 |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | $1,534 |
| 14 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $1,538 |
| 15 | Tucson, AZ | $1,555 |
MIDSIZE METROS (Population 350,000–999,999)
Most Expensive Midsize Metros
| Rank | Metropolitan Area | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $3,684 |
| 2 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $3,206 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $3,141 |
| 4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $3,006 |
| 5 | Salinas, CA | $2,727 |
| 6 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $2,694 |
| 7 | Vallejo, CA | $2,548 |
| 8 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $2,342 |
| 9 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $2,302 |
| 10 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $2,255 |
| 11 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $2,184 |
| 12 | Worcester, MA | $2,179 |
| 13 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $2,174 |
| 14 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $2,173 |
| 15 | Modesto, CA | $2,158 |
Least Expensive Midsize Metros
| Rank | Metropolitan Area | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $1,037 |
| 2 | Lafayette, LA | $1,109 |
| 3 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $1,111 |
| 4 | Peoria, IL | $1,137 |
| 5 | Toledo, OH | $1,156 |
| 6 | Flint, MI | $1,179 |
| 7 | Fort Wayne, IN | $1,192 |
| 8 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $1,195 |
| 9 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $1,197 |
| 10 | Wichita, KS | $1,199 |
| 11 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $1,219 |
| 12 | Springfield, MO | $1,220 |
| 13 | Montgomery, AL | $1,246 |
| 14 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $1,254 |
| 15 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $1,254 |
SMALL METROS (Population Less Than 350,000)
Most Expensive Small Metros
| Rank | Metropolitan Area | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $4,279 |
| 2 | Napa, CA | $3,187 |
| 3 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $2,896 |
| 4 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $2,890 |
| 5 | Bozeman, MT | $2,593 |
| 6 | Barnstable Town, MA | $2,467 |
| 7 | Boulder, CO | $2,368 |
| 8 | Lexington Park, MD | $2,328 |
| 9 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $2,287 |
| 10 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $2,279 |
| 11 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $2,279 |
| 12 | Flagstaff, AZ | $2,274 |
| 13 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $2,219 |
| 14 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $2,149 |
| 15 | Charlottesville, VA | $2,131 |
Least Expensive Small Metros
| Rank | Metropolitan Area | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $1,051 |
| 2 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $1,056 |
| 3 | Joplin, MO-KS | $1,057 |
| 4 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $1,068 |
| 5 | Decatur, AL | $1,090 |
| 6 | Jefferson City, MO | $1,097 |
| 7 | Mansfield, OH | $1,101 |
| 8 | Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $1,104 |
| 9 | Anniston-Oxford, AL | $1,111 |
| 10 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $1,116 |
| 11 | Gadsden, AL | $1,123 |
| 12 | Charleston, WV | $1,124 |
| 13 | Beckley, WV | $1,131 |
| 14 | Evansville, IN | $1,134 |
| 15 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $1,138 |
Study Notes
Methodology
Researchers calculated median monthly rent estimates across all rental types in each location using a weighted average of median monthly rent prices across rental size categories. Weights used were the number of renter-occupied housing units belonging to each size category as reported by the Census Bureau in 2024. Metropolitan areas were grouped into three size cohorts: small (less than 350,000), midsize (350,000–999,999), and large (1,000,000 or more).
Limitations
This analysis relies on HUD’s 50th percentile rent estimates and Census Bureau data from 2024. The median rent calculations represent weighted averages across different rental unit sizes (studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, etc.) and may not reflect individual renter experiences. Metropolitan areas were grouped by population size, and only locations with complete data were included. Rent prices can vary considerably within states and metros based on specific neighborhoods, building age, and amenities.
Funding and Disclosures
This study was conducted by researchers at Construction Coverage, a platform providing expert reviews and guides for the construction industry. The analysis used publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. No external funding was provided for this research.
