U.S. States · Highest to lowest
States ranked by median rent
Median gross rent captures what renters actually pay each month, including contract rent plus typical utilities. For the third of American households who rent, this number matters more than median home value.
Top 5
Hawaii, California, DC, Massachusetts, Washington, and Maryland top the ranking. Same coastal high-amenity geography that drives home values.
- #1 California$1,956
- #2 Hawaii$1,938
- #3 District of Columbia$1,900
- #4 Colorado$1,693
- #5 Massachusetts$1,687
Bottom 5
West Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Oklahoma have the lowest median rents — typically 50–60% of the top-tier states.
- #51 West Virginia$850
- #50 South Dakota$912
- #49 Arkansas$914
- #48 Mississippi$923
- #47 Kentucky$933
All 50 states
| # | State | Median rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CaliforniaCA | $1,956 |
| 2 | HawaiiHI | $1,938 |
| 3 | District of ColumbiaDC | $1,900 |
| 4 | ColoradoCO | $1,693 |
| 5 | MassachusettsMA | $1,687 |
| 6 | WashingtonWA | $1,682 |
| 7 | MarylandMD | $1,662 |
| 8 | New JerseyNJ | $1,653 |
| 9 | New YorkNY | $1,576 |
| 10 | FloridaFL | $1,564 |
| 11 | VirginiaVA | $1,514 |
| 12 | NevadaNV | $1,489 |
| 13 | OregonOR | $1,450 |
| 14 | ArizonaAZ | $1,431 |
| 15 | ConnecticutCT | $1,431 |
| 16 | New HampshireNH | $1,423 |
| 17 | UtahUT | $1,405 |
| 18 | AlaskaAK | $1,388 |
| 19 | DelawareDE | $1,341 |
| 20 | TexasTX | $1,339 |
| 21 | GeorgiaGA | $1,306 |
| 22 | Rhode IslandRI | $1,273 |
| 23 | MinnesotaMN | $1,235 |
| 24 | IllinoisIL | $1,227 |
| 25 | VermontVT | $1,193 |
| 26 | North CarolinaNC | $1,162 |
| 27 | PennsylvaniaPA | $1,162 |
| 28 | IdahoID | $1,150 |
| 29 | South CarolinaSC | $1,126 |
| 30 | TennesseeTN | $1,122 |
| 31 | MaineME | $1,084 |
| 32 | MichiganMI | $1,084 |
| 33 | WisconsinWI | $1,045 |
| 34 | LouisianaLA | $1,038 |
| 35 | NebraskaNE | $1,035 |
| 36 | MontanaMT | $1,031 |
| 37 | KansasKS | $1,029 |
| 38 | New MexicoNM | $1,021 |
| 39 | IndianaIN | $1,020 |
| 40 | MissouriMO | $996 |
| 41 | OhioOH | $988 |
| 42 | OklahomaOK | $980 |
| 43 | WyomingWY | $968 |
| 44 | AlabamaAL | $963 |
| 45 | IowaIA | $949 |
| 46 | North DakotaND | $934 |
| 47 | KentuckyKY | $933 |
| 48 | MississippiMS | $923 |
| 49 | ArkansasAR | $914 |
| 50 | South DakotaSD | $912 |
| 51 | West VirginiaWV | $850 |
Methodology
- What this measures
- ACS5 Table B25064: median gross rent of all renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent. 'Gross' means contract rent plus the cost of utilities and fuels (electricity, gas, water, oil, etc.) where these are not included in the rent.
- Why it matters
- Rental cost is the single largest expense for most working-age households without a mortgage. State-level differences are large and well-correlated with high-cost coastal labor markets.
- Caveats
- Reflects all in-place rental contracts, not what's currently being asked on the market. Newly listed market rent is typically higher than the ACS5 median, especially in fast-growing metros.
- Source
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, vintage 2023 (released December 2024). census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Frequently asked
- Is Texas cheap on rent?
- Texas sits in the middle of the ranking — well below California or Massachusetts, but above Mississippi or West Virginia. Within Texas, the Rio Grande Valley and West Texas are far cheaper than Austin or DFW.
- Why does DC rank so high?
- DC is a single dense city, not a state. Its median rent reflects a rental-heavy, high-income urban market with limited housing supply.