Renting in 2025: The U.S. Cities with the Highest Rent Revealed

February 14, 2025

Renting in 2025: The U.S. Cities with the Highest Rent Revealed

The US city with the highest rent per square foot is Washington, D.C., with not only high costs, but also high availability of houses for rent.
San Jose, California, has the largest average home sizes, offering more space despite relatively lower rent compared to other high-cost cities.
San Francisco, California, has the highest median rent for a one-bedroom unit.

A recent study by Storage Sense revealed the top ten U.S. cities with the highest rent per square foot, focusing on urban centers with populations exceeding 500K to ensure dynamic and competitive rental markets were analyzed. Data collected included population, average home size, median one-bedroom rent, and house availability for rent. Cities were ranked based on rent per 100 square feet metric, highlighting areas where renters pay the most for living space.

Findings summed up:

City	Avg Home Size (sq. ft.)	Median 1 BR rent	Rent per 100 square ft	Available Houses for rent per 100K people
Washington	932	2137	229.29	1351.51
San Francisco	1222	2761	225.94	508.07
New York City	1165	2,219	190.47	196.12
Boston	1251	2210	176.66	2154.43
San Jose	1582	2410	152.34	297.15
San Diego	1467	1,950	132.92	637.73
Seattle	1460	1875	128.42	1546.36
Los Angeles	1544	1,843	119.37	635.10
Chicago	1,400	1,535	109.64	518.73
Philadelphia	1318	1,256	95.30	939.41

Washington, D.C. takes the 1st rank with the highest rent per 100 square feet at $229.29. Alongside its high rental costs, the city offers a big rental market with 1,351 houses available per 100K people, making it one of the more accessible cities for renters in terms of availability.

San Francisco, California, ranks 2nd with a rent of $225. It also holds the distinction of having the most expensive one-bedroom median rent at $2,761. However, its housing supply remains tight, with just over 4,000 rental homes available, reflecting the city’s high demand and limited inventory.

New York City ranks 3rd with a rent of $190. The city has the largest rental market overall, with more than 15K homes available. In contrast, its availability of 196 houses is lower compared to other cities, indicating a significant demand for housing.

Boston, Massachusetts, comes in 4th with a rent price of $176. It has the highest rental availability per capita, with 2,154 houses available, providing renters with a wide range of options compared to other cities. This contrasts with its moderately high rental costs.

San Jose, California, ranks 5th with a rent cost of $152. Renters here benefit from the largest average home size at 1,582 square feet. However, it has quite limited rental availability, with only 297 houses.

San Diego, California, takes the 6th spot with a cost of $132. The city strikes a balance between mid-range rental costs and accessibility, offering 637 houses and providing more options compared to some of the other high-cost cities.

Seattle, Washington, ranks 7th with a rent of $128.42. The city provides 1,546 homes per 100K residents, giving renters more choices compared to many other cities on this list.

Los Angeles, California, comes in 8th with a rent of $119.37. While its rent per square foot is lower than other California cities on the list, Los Angeles has the largest overall rental market, with over 24K houses available, offering the most options for renters.

Chicago, Illinois, ranks 9th with a rent of $109.64. The city provides a substantial rental market with more than 13K houses available, making it a balanced option in terms of affordability and housing supply in a major urban area.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, rounds out the list at 10th with a rent of $95, the lowest among the cities analyzed. The city has 939 homes available for rent, making it an affordable option for renters while still offering decent availability.

A spokesperson from Storage Sense commented on the study: “The variation in rental costs across the country reflects the interplay of factors like supply, demand, and space efficiency. Rent per square foot is a valuable metric for understanding how housing costs align with available living space. For anyone planning a move, it’s worth looking at both the rent and how many homes are actually available in the area. Balancing what you need with what you can afford is key to making a smart choice.”

For detailed methodology and full research, please follow this link.

Story credit: https://www.storagesense.com/

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