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Mapped: Average Rent Across 100 U.S. Cities (2026)
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Key Takeaways
- San Francisco, New York, and Boston top U.S. rents at over $3,500 a month.
- Six of the 10 most expensive rental markets are in California.
- The average across 100 cities is $1,843, with many Midwest and Southern cities below $1,200.
Rents across 100 U.S. cities range widely in 2026, from over $3,500 in the most expensive markets to around $1,200 in more affordable regions.
This map visualizes average monthly rent using Zillow’s Observed Rent Index (ZORI), via WalletHub. The data reflects smoothed, seasonally adjusted rents across all residential property types as of February 2026.
With the U.S. average at $1,843, renters in the most expensive cities are paying more than double the national benchmark.
California Accounts for Most of the Highest Rents
California cities dominate the upper end of the rental market, accounting for six of the 10 most expensive locations.
| Rank | City | Average Rent (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $3,830 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $3,706 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $3,510 |
| 4 | Irvine, CA | $3,361 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $3,222 |
| 6 | Jersey City, NJ | $3,048 |
| 7 | Miami, FL | $2,964 |
| 8 | Chula Vista, CA | $2,904 |
| 9 | San Diego, CA | $2,893 |
| 10 | Santa Ana, CA | $2,804 |
| 11 | Los Angeles, CA | $2,742 |
| 12 | Anaheim, CA | $2,711 |
| 13 | Naples, FL | $2,677 |
| 14 | Honolulu, HI | $2,548 |
| 15 | Oakland, CA | $2,527 |
| 16 | Washington, DC | $2,406 |
| 17 | Riverside, CA | $2,346 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $2,292 |
| 19 | Long Beach, CA | $2,287 |
| 20 | Seattle, WA | $2,187 |
| 21 | Newark, NJ | $2,121 |
| 22 | Gilbert, AZ | $2,049 |
| 23 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $2,048 |
| 24 | Modesto, CA | $2,042 |
| 25 | Stockton, CA | $2,010 |
| 26 | Sacramento, CA | $2,006 |
| 27 | Tampa, FL | $1,968 |
| 28 | Silver Spring, MD | $1,954 |
| 29 | Virginia Beach, VA | $1,953 |
| 30 | Katy, TX | $1,896 |
| 31 | Atlanta, GA | $1,888 |
| 32 | Bakersfield, CA | $1,887 |
| 33 | Lawrenceville, GA | $1,881 |
| 34 | Orlando, FL | $1,857 |
| 35 | Chandler, AZ | $1,848 |
| 36 | Reno, NV | $1,830 |
| 37 | Denver, CO | $1,818 |
| 38 | Nashville, TN | $1,772 |
| 39 | Henderson, NV | $1,772 |
| 40 | Vancouver, WA | $1,769 |
| 41 | Marietta, GA | $1,742 |
| 42 | Philadelphia, PA | $1,734 |
| 43 | Plano, TX | $1,717 |
| 44 | Portland, OR | $1,710 |
| 45 | Baltimore, MD | $1,708 |
| 46 | Knoxville, TN | $1,708 |
| 47 | Charlotte, NC | $1,705 |
| 48 | Boise, ID | $1,703 |
| 49 | Las Vegas, NV | $1,695 |
| 50 | Fresno, CA | $1,693 |
| 51 | Aurora, CO | $1,689 |
| 52 | Spring, TX | $1,679 |
| 53 | Colorado Springs, CO | $1,667 |
| 54 | Durham, NC | $1,651 |
| 55 | Minneapolis, MN | $1,638 |
| 56 | New Orleans, LA | $1,625 |
| 57 | Dallas, TX | $1,591 |
| 58 | Jacksonville, FL | $1,576 |
| 59 | Richmond, VA | $1,574 |
| 60 | Raleigh, NC | $1,567 |
| 61 | Phoenix, AZ | $1,556 |
| 62 | Fort Worth, TX | $1,554 |
| 63 | Mesa, AZ | $1,554 |
| 64 | Houston, TX | $1,542 |
| 65 | Austin, TX | $1,531 |
| 66 | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,516 |
| 67 | Lexington, KY | $1,487 |
| 68 | Saint Paul, MN | $1,485 |
| 69 | Tallahassee, FL | $1,484 |
| 70 | Arlington, TX | $1,462 |
| 71 | Columbia, SC | $1,459 |
| 72 | Albuquerque, NM | $1,457 |
| 73 | Spokane, WA | $1,456 |
| 74 | Winston-Salem, NC | $1,445 |
| 75 | El Paso, TX | $1,441 |
| 76 | Rochester, NY | $1,434 |
| 77 | Corpus Christi, TX | $1,433 |
| 78 | Cincinnati, OH | $1,425 |
| 79 | Kansas City, MO | $1,418 |
| 80 | Columbus, OH | $1,415 |
| 81 | Omaha, NE | $1,403 |
| 82 | Tucson, AZ | $1,399 |
| 83 | Milwaukee, WI | $1,398 |
| 84 | Lubbock, TX | $1,388 |
| 85 | Greensboro, NC | $1,382 |
| 86 | Buffalo, NY | $1,381 |
| 87 | San Antonio, TX | $1,361 |
| 88 | Indianapolis, IN | $1,356 |
| 89 | Louisville, KY | $1,352 |
| 90 | Cleveland, OH | $1,344 |
| 91 | Saint Louis, MO | $1,326 |
| 92 | Detroit, MI | $1,318 |
| 93 | Baton Rouge, LA | $1,312 |
| 94 | Lincoln, NE | $1,293 |
| 95 | Oklahoma City, OK | $1,255 |
| 96 | Memphis, TN | $1,234 |
| 97 | Tulsa, OK | $1,207 |
| 98 | Fort Wayne, IN | $1,160 |
| 99 | Wichita, KS | $1,125 |
| 100 | Toledo, OH | $1,060 |
| -- | U.S. Average (100 Cities) | $1,843 |
At $3,830 per month, San Francisco renters pay more than twice the national average, putting it at the top of the ranking alongside New York and Boston, where rents also exceed $3,500.
Other California cities like Irvine, San Jose, and San Diego also rank near the top. High demand, limited housing supply, and strong local economies continue to drive elevated prices across the state.
Coastal Premiums Remain Intact
Beyond California, other coastal cities also command high rents. New York City and Jersey City remain among the most expensive, reflecting their proximity to major job centers.
Miami has also emerged as one of the priciest markets in the Southeast, fueled by population growth and migration trends.
Affordability Concentrated in the Interior
In contrast, the most affordable rental markets are largely located in the Midwest and South.
In cities like Toledo, Wichita, and Tulsa, average rents remain near or below $1,200, roughly one-third the cost of renting in San Francisco. This gap highlights how location alone can dramatically change a renter’s cost of living, even within the same country.
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