Realtor.com® April Rental Report
National Rents Drop Again, But Three Midwest Markets Surge to Record Highs
Rents fell again last month, with particularly big savings for renters in Austin, Texas; Las Vegas; and San Francisco compared to when those markets peaked, according to the Realtor.com® Rental Report. Still, some areas with low unemployment and a slower pace of new home construction saw record-high rents that could continue to rise into the summer months.
The median asking rent nationally for 0-2 bedroom units fell by -0.7% from April of last year, to $1,723, and declined across all size categories. It was the ninth straight year-over-year drop, though the pace of rent declines has slowed. Rents are just $33 (-1.9%) below their August 2022 peak.
“In the ever-fluctuating real estate market, renters will find that trends vary significantly by location,” said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com®. “Renters in some historically expensive areas are seeing lower prices compared to what they would have paid at the peak of the market, while many relatively affordable markets are witnessing a continued rise in rental costs to new highs, and the scales could tip to even more markets later this summer.”
Renters in some South and West markets see biggest savings; Austin leads the way
The median asking rent for Austin, Texas in April was $1,494, which is down $195 (-11.5%) from its September 2022 peak. That’s the largest percent savings, compared to the market’s peak, among the 50 biggest metro markets. The decline was partly driven by an influx of new multi-family homes into the Southern market, which has helped to push Austin’s rental vacancy rate higher. Rents in Austin have been declining month-over-month since June 2023. Still, April’s median asking rent in Austin is $260 (21.1%) more than it was five years ago, before the pandemic. The metro with the second-biggest rent savings since the peak was Las Vegas, where renters could save $184 on average by renting a typical property today, down -11.1% from the June 2022 high. And in San Francisco, a typical renter could save $303 per month, down -9.9% from the July 2022 peak.
Three Midwest metros hit record-high rents and more could follow
By contrast, in parts of the Midwest, rents are climbing. The median asking rents hit their highest levels since March 2019 in three Midwest cities: Indianapolis (up 4.5% annually to $1,334), Milwaukee (up 3.8% to $1,671), and Minneapolis (up 2.5% to $1,529). Driving higher rents are below-average unemployment rates and the slow pace of new multi-home construction. Current rental prices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Chicago are all slightly below peak but could hit their own record highs this summer if the recent growth trend continues. While rents in many Midwest metro areas are generally more affordable than in cities in other parts of the country, in some key markets renters are facing increasing affordability challenges.
Rents decline across all size categories
On average, rents for units of all sizes continued their months-long trend downward in April. Studios saw the biggest drop, with the median asking rent nationwide falling by 1.7% on a year-over-year basis, to $1,443. That’s down -3.2% from its October 2022 peak but 18.9% higher than five years ago. Median rent for one-bedroom units fell -1.4% to $1,601, the eleventh straight month of annual declines. And the median rent for two-bedroom units fell by -0.7% to $1,916. That’s -1.9% lower than its August 2022 peak but 24.4% more than five years ago.
Media contact:
Sara Wiskerchen, press@realtor.com
SOURCE Realtor.com
