After Months of Decreases, Rents Nationwide Are Going Up

Average rents rose by $12 around the country so far this year.

1 minute read

May 17, 2024, 6:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Close-up of 'Pay rent' note in red marker on day 1 of monthly calendar.

Andrey Popov / Adobe Stock

Rents around the country are once again climbing after months of decline, reports Mary Salmonsen in Smart Cities Dive. “Overall, rents are up $12 this year to date, and only off by $2 from the all-time high of $1,727 set last summer,” Salmonsen adds.

Rents in the single-family build-to-rent sector rose to their all-time high, $2,154, while occupancy in this sector remains high at 95.4 percent. In Boston, year-over-year rent for build-to-rent properties rose by 20 percent. 

Despite strong outmigration, cities like New York and San Francisco have low vacancy rates. “Meanwhile, occupancy has slipped slightly in Midwest and Sun Belt markets, owing to an abundance of new units coming online. However, as demand for these units is still high, negative rent growth is abating in some of these markets.”

The lease renewal rate was at its lowest in two years, signaling instability for renters.

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation