Most Expensive Cities to Rent in America
Ranking the top 50 most expensive metro areas by 2-bedroom rent prices. These cities have the highest cost of living for renters in the United States.
Highest: $3,604/mo
Average: $1,825/mo
#50 City: $944/mo
| Rank | Metro Area | Studio | 1 Bed | 2 Bed | 3 Bed | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | San Francisco, CA CA | $2,485 | $2,977 | $3,604 | $4,604 | View → |
#2 | San Jose, CA CA | $2,621 | $2,982 | $3,483 | $4,602 | View → |
#3 | San Diego, CA CA | $2,288 | $2,459 | $3,001 | $3,998 | View → |
#4 | Boston, MA MA | $2,359 | $2,476 | $2,941 | $3,526 | View → |
#5 | New York, NY NY | $2,529 | $2,655 | $2,910 | $3,644 | View → |
#6 | Los Angeles, CA CA | $1,863 | $2,085 | $2,601 | $3,298 | View → |
#7 | Seattle, WA WA | $2,074 | $2,146 | $2,501 | $3,272 | View → |
#8 | Miami, FL FL | $1,828 | $1,995 | $2,436 | $3,127 | View → |
#9 | Sacramento, CA CA | $1,748 | $1,832 | $2,255 | $3,002 | View → |
#10 | Washington, DC DC | $1,953 | $2,015 | $2,246 | $2,835 | View → |
#11 | Riverside, CA CA | $1,692 | $1,777 | $2,201 | $2,912 | View → |
#12 | Denver, CO CO | $1,643 | $1,754 | $2,089 | $2,734 | View → |
#13 | Tampa, FL FL | $1,593 | $1,696 | $1,977 | $2,527 | View → |
#14 | Orlando, FL FL | $1,650 | $1,731 | $1,972 | $2,476 | View → |
#15 | Dallas, TX TX | $1,582 | $1,648 | $1,931 | $2,431 | View → |
#16 | Portland, OR OR | $1,570 | $1,677 | $1,922 | $2,619 | View → |
#17 | Hartford, CT CT | $1,286 | $1,477 | $1,865 | $2,236 | View → |
#18 | Baltimore, MD MD | $1,362 | $1,511 | $1,857 | $2,358 | View → |
#19 | Phoenix, AZ AZ | $1,457 | $1,583 | $1,839 | $2,452 | View → |
#20 | Atlanta, GA GA | $1,585 | $1,660 | $1,820 | $2,182 | View → |
#21 | Philadelphia, PA PA | $1,397 | $1,520 | $1,810 | $2,170 | View → |
#22 | Chicago, IL IL | $1,480 | $1,581 | $1,781 | $2,294 | View → |
#23 | Salt Lake City, UT UT | $1,259 | $1,456 | $1,747 | $2,333 | View → |
#24 | Las Vegas, NV NV | $1,333 | $1,478 | $1,735 | $2,413 | View → |
#25 | Nashville, TN TN | $1,507 | $1,578 | $1,730 | $2,211 | View → |
#26 | Providence, RI RI | $1,318 | $1,402 | $1,729 | $2,087 | View → |
#27 | Virginia Beach, VA VA | $1,492 | $1,512 | $1,713 | $2,376 | View → |
#28 | Minneapolis, MN MN | $1,242 | $1,405 | $1,709 | $2,262 | View → |
#29 | Charlotte, NC NC | $1,469 | $1,538 | $1,686 | $2,076 | View → |
#30 | Jacksonville, FL FL | $1,355 | $1,382 | $1,658 | $2,043 | View → |
#31 | Richmond, VA VA | $1,442 | $1,507 | $1,655 | $2,072 | View → |
#32 | Houston, TX TX | $1,280 | $1,323 | $1,573 | $2,116 | View → |
#33 | Indianapolis, IN IN | $1,118 | $1,267 | $1,473 | $1,907 | View → |
#34 | Columbus, OH OH | $1,111 | $1,194 | $1,430 | $1,715 | View → |
#35 | San Antonio, TX TX | $1,077 | $1,177 | $1,426 | $1,830 | View → |
#36 | Detroit, MI MI | $1,009 | $1,122 | $1,411 | $1,724 | View → |
#37 | Kansas City, MO MO | $1,095 | $1,197 | $1,358 | $1,769 | View → |
#38 | Buffalo, NY NY | $1,105 | $1,139 | $1,343 | $1,640 | View → |
#39 | Milwaukee, WI WI | $1,027 | $1,119 | $1,338 | $1,648 | View → |
#40 | New Orleans, LA LA | $964 | $1,113 | $1,331 | $1,701 | View → |
#41 | Greensboro, NC NC | $1,159 | $1,213 | $1,330 | $1,703 | View → |
#42 | Pittsburgh, PA PA | $1,001 | $1,077 | $1,299 | $1,661 | View → |
#43 | Memphis, TN TN | $1,060 | $1,154 | $1,274 | $1,683 | View → |
#44 | Louisville, KY KY | $966 | $1,047 | $1,272 | $1,625 | View → |
#45 | Birmingham, AL AL | $1,024 | $1,155 | $1,266 | $1,583 | View → |
#46 | Oklahoma City, OK OK | $939 | $1,017 | $1,244 | $1,675 | View → |
#47 | Cleveland, OH OH | $850 | $940 | $1,233 | $1,584 | View → |
#48 | St. Louis, MO MO | $955 | $995 | $1,218 | $1,568 | View → |
#49 | Austin, TX TX | $885 | $891 | $1,095 | $1,523 | View → |
#50 | Raleigh, NC NC | $715 | $719 | $944 | $1,313 | View → |
Why Are These Cities So Expensive?
The most expensive rental markets in America share common characteristics that drive up housing costs:
- High-paying job markets: Tech hubs like San Jose and San Francisco attract high-income workers willing to pay premium rents
- Limited housing supply: Geographic constraints and restrictive zoning limit new construction in cities like New York and Boston
- Strong demand: Popular cities with excellent amenities, culture, and job opportunities maintain consistently high rental demand
- Foreign investment: International buyers and investors drive up real estate prices in gateway cities
- Quality of life: Cities with great weather, low crime, and top schools command higher rents (San Diego, Seattle)
Affordability Guidelines
Financial experts recommend spending no more than 30% of your gross income on housing. Here's what you'd need to earn to afford rent in these expensive cities:
Top 10 Cities (avg $2,798/mo)
Required annual income: $111,920
Cities 11-25 (avg $1,885/mo)
Required annual income: $75,400
Cities 26-50 (avg $1,400/mo)
Required annual income: $56,000
Regional Breakdown
8
West Coast
cities in top 50
9
Northeast
cities in top 50
33
Other
cities in top 50