Wealthy PotAverage Rent in the US: What Renters Pay by Bedrooms and State
The median American renter pays $1,487 a month, including utilities. That is the median gross rent for 2024 in the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), which asks renters what they actually pay; the 2024 figures were released in September 2025. By size, the median is $1,301 for a one-bedroom, $1,490 for a two-bedroom and $1,677 for a three-bedroom. It ranges from $883 in West Virginia to $2,104 in California. Rents are still rising, but more slowly: the Consumer Price Index for rent was up 2.7% in the year to August 2026, below overall inflation of 3.4%. Below are the figures for all 50 states, the share of renters who pay more than 30% of their income, and what income the average rent requires.
Table of Contents
The Short Answer
- $1,487 a month is the US median gross rent (rent plus utilities) in 2024, up from $1,406 in 2023 (Census ACS 1-year).
- By bedrooms: studio $1,321, one-bedroom $1,301, two-bedroom $1,490, three-bedroom $1,677.
- California has the highest state median at $2,104; West Virginia the lowest at $883. Eight states are under $1,000.
- The median rose about 25% from 2021 to 2024 (our calculation, not adjusted for inflation). The CPI for rent was up 2.7% in the 12 months to August 2026.
- 51.8% of renters with a computed ratio pay 30% or more of their income in rent, and 26.1% pay 50% or more (ACS 2024).
- Under the 30% rule, the median rent takes a household income of about $59,480 a year (our arithmetic).
Average Rent by Number of Bedrooms
The ACS asks every sampled renter household what it pays and how many bedrooms the home has. Table B25031 gives the median gross rent for each size. These are medians across all 46.1 million renter households, not only apartments listed this month, so they include long-time tenants and single-family houses as well as new leases.
| Bedrooms | Median gross rent, 2024 | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|
| Studio (no bedroom) | $1,321 | ±$11 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,301 | ±$6 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,490 | ±$5 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,677 | ±$6 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,069 | ±$16 |
| 5 or more bedrooms | $2,182 | ±$41 |
| All renter homes | $1,487 | ±$3 |
Studios cost more than one-bedrooms at the national level. That is not a mistake in the table. Studios are a small share of rentals and are concentrated in big, expensive cities, while one-bedrooms are common everywhere, including low-cost towns. Within a single city, a studio is usually cheaper than a one-bedroom. Going from one to two bedrooms, or two to three, adds about $190 a month to the national median; a fourth bedroom adds about $390.
Average Rent by State
Where you live matters more than the size of the home. A three-bedroom in Arkansas ($1,181) costs less than a studio in California ($1,654). In 2024, 18 states had a median above the national $1,487. The highest were California ($2,104), Hawaii ($1,942), Massachusetts ($1,848), Washington ($1,824), Colorado ($1,822) and Florida ($1,812); Washington, DC, at $1,931, would rank third if it were a state. The lowest were West Virginia ($883), North Dakota ($980), Iowa ($981), Arkansas ($982) and Mississippi ($990).
| State | Median gross rent | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | Renters paying 30%+ of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $1,077 | $889 | $1,048 | 48.2% |
| Alaska | $1,444 | $1,048 | $1,453 | 41.5% |
| Arizona | $1,672 | $1,416 | $1,649 | 52.4% |
| Arkansas | $982 | $794 | $934 | 45.5% |
| California | $2,104 | $1,835 | $2,179 | 55.8% |
| Colorado | $1,822 | $1,627 | $1,857 | 52.5% |
| Connecticut | $1,550 | $1,275 | $1,658 | 54.1% |
| Delaware | $1,530 | $1,153 | $1,564 | 50.3% |
| District of Columbia | $1,931 | $1,922 | $2,366 | 47.7% |
| Florida | $1,812 | $1,589 | $1,812 | 62.1% |
| Georgia | $1,506 | $1,404 | $1,459 | 53.1% |
| Hawaii | $1,942 | $1,579 | $1,953 | 55.0% |
| Idaho | $1,384 | $1,057 | $1,275 | 48.4% |
| Illinois | $1,322 | $1,169 | $1,333 | 48.7% |
| Indiana | $1,104 | $931 | $1,132 | 48.5% |
| Iowa | $981 | $769 | $1,003 | 43.2% |
| Kansas | $1,079 | $861 | $1,082 | 43.4% |
| Kentucky | $998 | $852 | $1,006 | 45.2% |
| Louisiana | $1,064 | $932 | $1,041 | 54.1% |
| Maine | $1,210 | $905 | $1,325 | 50.2% |
| Maryland | $1,721 | $1,470 | $1,758 | 51.5% |
| Massachusetts | $1,848 | $1,479 | $1,962 | 52.4% |
| Michigan | $1,168 | $967 | $1,200 | 51.2% |
| Minnesota | $1,291 | $1,135 | $1,369 | 47.7% |
| Mississippi | $990 | $829 | $963 | 50.3% |
| Missouri | $1,067 | $870 | $1,057 | 45.2% |
| Montana | $1,177 | $933 | $1,234 | 42.7% |
| Nebraska | $1,102 | $999 | $1,092 | 46.5% |
| Nevada | $1,709 | $1,382 | $1,646 | 57.6% |
| New Hampshire | $1,558 | $1,250 | $1,687 | 49.4% |
| New Jersey | $1,800 | $1,554 | $1,885 | 52.2% |
| New Mexico | $1,117 | $937 | $1,104 | 48.4% |
| New York | $1,634 | $1,530 | $1,634 | 51.5% |
| North Carolina | $1,338 | $1,274 | $1,277 | 51.5% |
| North Dakota | $980 | $833 | $950 | 36.1% |
| Ohio | $1,090 | $878 | $1,122 | 47.7% |
| Oklahoma | $1,044 | $852 | $1,032 | 46.1% |
| Oregon | $1,597 | $1,377 | $1,620 | 52.3% |
| Pennsylvania | $1,252 | $1,064 | $1,307 | 49.4% |
| Rhode Island | $1,418 | $1,038 | $1,624 | 51.1% |
| South Carolina | $1,272 | $1,203 | $1,275 | 52.6% |
| South Dakota | $999 | $781 | $1,071 | 41.9% |
| Tennessee | $1,284 | $1,180 | $1,225 | 50.2% |
| Texas | $1,475 | $1,307 | $1,475 | 52.7% |
| Utah | $1,593 | $1,343 | $1,545 | 48.2% |
| Vermont | $1,319 | $1,089 | $1,509 | 48.8% |
| Virginia | $1,646 | $1,520 | $1,555 | 49.3% |
| Washington | $1,824 | $1,641 | $1,837 | 50.7% |
| West Virginia | $883 | $643 | $906 | 47.0% |
| Wisconsin | $1,142 | $982 | $1,149 | 44.9% |
| Wyoming | $998 | $783 | $972 | 42.9% |
| United States | $1,487 | $1,301 | $1,490 | 51.8% |
A state median hides a wide spread. Metro areas such as San Francisco, New York and Boston run far above their state figure, and rural counties run below it. For a budget, use the county or city figure for the place you plan to live, which the ACS also publishes, or current local listings.
How Fast Rent Is Rising
The national median gross rent has climbed every year in the ACS 1-year series:
| Year | US median gross rent | Change from prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,191 | n/a |
| 2022 | $1,300 | +9.2% |
| 2023 | $1,406 | +8.2% |
| 2024 | $1,487 | +5.8% |
That is a rise of about 25% in three years. The 2025 ACS 1-year figures, normally out each September, have not been released yet: the Census Bureau says their release date "is being determined" while it works through a new Commerce Department disclosure rule. We will update this page when they appear.
For a more current read, the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks rent every month in the Consumer Price Index. Its rent of primary residence index covers what existing tenants pay, not only new leases. The 12-month change, each August:
| 12 months to August | CPI rent of primary residence | CPI all items |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +6.7% | +8.3% |
| 2023 | +7.8% | +3.7% |
| 2024 | +5.0% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | +3.5% | +2.9% |
| 2026 | +2.7% | +3.4% |
Rent inflation peaked in 2023 and has slowed each year since. In the year to August 2026 rent rose less than overall prices, the first August reading where that happened since 2022. Vacancy has edged up too: the Census Bureau's rental vacancy rate was 7.3% in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 7.0% a year earlier, a change the Bureau says is not statistically significant.
How Many Renters Pay Too Much
Federal housing policy treats a household as "cost burdened" when housing takes more than 30% of income and "severely cost burdened" above 50%. The ACS measures this directly for renters, as gross rent divided by monthly household income (Table B25070). In 2024:
| Rent as a share of household income | Renter households | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30% | 20,717,215 | 48.2% |
| 30% to 49.9% | 11,036,281 | 25.7% |
| 50% or more | 11,200,981 | 26.1% |
| 30% or more (cost burdened) | 22,237,262 | 51.8% |
| Not computed (no cash rent, or no income) | 3,147,163 | excluded |
More than one in four renter households spends at least half its income on rent. Florida has the highest share paying 30% or more, 62.1%, followed by Nevada (57.6%), California (55.8%) and Hawaii (55.0%). North Dakota has the lowest, 36.1%. Florida ranks sixth among states on median rent but first on burden, a reminder that affordability depends on rent relative to income, not rent alone.
The 30% Rule: Income Needed for the Average Rent
The 30% guideline started as federal policy rather than budgeting advice. The Brooke Amendment of 1969 capped public housing rent at 25% of a family's adjusted income, and the Housing and Community Development Amendments of 1981 raised the cap to 30%. Dividing each median rent by 30% gives the income it implies:
| Home | Median gross rent | Rent per year | Income at 30% of pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,321 | $15,852 | $52,840 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,301 | $15,612 | $52,040 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,490 | $17,880 | $59,600 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,677 | $20,124 | $67,080 |
| All renter homes | $1,487 | $17,844 | $59,480 |
The 30% rule is a screen, not a budget. It uses income before tax, so a renter at exactly 30% is spending a larger share of take-home pay. Because gross rent already includes utilities, the 30% has to cover the electric bill too if you pay it. The 50/30/20 rule is a better test once rent sits next to every other cost: needs, including rent, at about half of after-tax income. Our budget calculator runs that split on your own numbers, and the average monthly expenses page shows what housing takes in a typical household budget. Add a few dollars a month for renters insurance, which a landlord's policy does not replace.
If rent is pushing you toward buying, compare it with the average mortgage payment and the average home price, then work through our rent vs buy guide, which counts the costs a monthly payment comparison leaves out.
Why Listings Look Higher Than the Census Number
If you are apartment hunting, $1,487 may look low. Listing sites report asking rents on homes that are for rent now. Zillow's Observed Rent Index, a private index of asking rents, was $1,948 for the US in August 2026, up 2.5% from a year earlier. Three things explain the gap:
- Who is counted. The ACS median covers every renter, including people who have been in the same place for years at below-market rent. Asking-rent indices cover only units on the market, which are newer and priced at today's rates.
- Timing. The ACS figure describes 2024. Asking rents are monthly and current.
- What is included. ACS gross rent adds utilities to the lease rent. Asking rents usually exclude utilities but reflect current market prices, which more than offsets that.
Use the Census figure to compare places and to see what households actually pay. Use current local listings to budget for a move, since that is the rent you will be quoted.
Sources & Methodology
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table-based summary files: Tables B25064 (median gross rent), B25031 (median gross rent by bedrooms), B25070 (gross rent as a percentage of household income) and B25003 (tenure), for the United States and each state. Earlier years from the 2021, 2022 and 2023 files.
- Census Bureau, 2024 ACS Subject Definitions: definitions of gross rent, contract rent and gross rent as a percentage of income.
- Census Bureau, ACS news and updates: status of the 2025 1-year release.
- BLS, Consumer Price Index, Table 2, August 2026, and the rent of primary residence series (CUUR0000SEHA).
- Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026: rental vacancy rate.
- Congressional Research Service, Measuring Housing Affordability (R49457), October 1, 2026: the 30% and 50% standards and the Brooke Amendment history.
- Zillow Research, Zillow Observed Rent Index: US, all homes plus multifamily, smoothed, August 2026. A private asking-rent index, shown for comparison only.
Method notes. Median gross rent is the contract rent (what the lease says) plus the estimated monthly cost of electricity, gas, water and sewer, and heating fuel when the renter pays them. The Census Bureau adds utilities so that a unit with utilities included and one without can be compared fairly. It covers renter homes paying cash rent; homes occupied without rent are left out. A median is the middle value, so half of renters pay less and half pay more; it is not pulled up by luxury rentals the way an average would be. The ACS is a survey, and the margins of error shown are the Census Bureau's own. Percentage shares, growth rates and income figures marked as our calculation are derived from the published counts and medians. The ACS 1-year series uses one consistent table and geography for each year; amounts are in current dollars. Asking-rent indices such as Zillow's measure a different thing, so they are higher and should not be mixed with the Census figures.
This article is for general information and is not financial or housing advice. Figures are from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Congressional Research Service, checked against the primary sources on 2026-10-08, with one private index labeled as such. Income examples are illustrative. Rent where you live can differ a great deal from a state or national median; check local listings and your own budget before signing a lease.
FAQ
What is the average rent in the US?
The US median gross rent was $1,487 a month in 2024, including utilities, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. It was $1,406 in 2023. Asking rents on homes listed for rent now are higher; Zillow's index was $1,948 in August 2026.
What is the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home was $1,301 a month in 2024 (Census ACS). By state it ranges from $643 in West Virginia to $1,922 in Washington, DC, and $1,835 in California.
What is the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment?
The median gross rent for a two-bedroom home was $1,490 a month in 2024. Among states, California had the highest median at $2,179, followed by Massachusetts at $1,962. Washington, DC, is higher still at $2,366.
Which state has the highest rent?
California, with a 2024 median gross rent of $2,104, then Hawaii ($1,942), Massachusetts ($1,848) and Washington ($1,824). Washington, DC, is $1,931.
Which state has the cheapest rent?
West Virginia, at $883 a month in 2024. North Dakota ($980), Iowa ($981), Arkansas ($982) and Mississippi ($990) are next.
How much do I need to earn to afford the average rent?
Under the 30% rule, the $1,487 median gross rent needs a gross income of about $59,480 a year. A median one-bedroom ($1,301) needs about $52,040 and a two-bedroom ($1,490) about $59,600.
How many renters are cost burdened?
In 2024, 51.8% of renter households with a computed ratio paid 30% or more of their income in rent, and 26.1% paid 50% or more (Census ACS, Table B25070). Florida had the highest 30%-plus share at 62.1%.
Is rent still going up?
Yes, but more slowly. The CPI for rent of primary residence rose 2.7% in the 12 months to August 2026, down from 7.8% in the year to August 2023 and below overall inflation of 3.4%.
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"Average Rent in the US: What Renters Pay by Bedrooms and State." Wealthy Pot, 2026. https://wealthypot.com/average-rent/
