Average Rent by State: Latest Official U.S. Data

Last updated: September 2026

The latest official, all-state rent data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey: the U.S. median gross rent was $1,487 per month. State medians run from $883 in West Virginia to $2,104 in California, a spread of more than $1,200 a month for the same basic need. Gross rent means the rent plus utilities the renter pays. Whether you’re comparing states before a move or benchmarking a rental you own, here’s every state’s number and, just as usefully, what that number does not tell you.

Average Rent by State: The Full 2024 Census Bureau Table

These figures come from Census table B25064, which reports median gross rent for occupied rental units. That’s the rent plus renter-paid electricity, gas, water and sewer, and heating fuel. Units where no rent is paid are excluded. The same survey also collects income and demographics, which is what makes the rent-to-income analysis further down this page possible.

The District of Columbia is listed separately because it isn’t a state. Every Census estimate carries a margin of error, so treat these as benchmarks for comparison, not as price tags on any specific home.

Only eight states came in under $1,000. Lay the table out like a map and the geography does most of the explaining.

The Most Expensive States for Rent in Today’s Housing Market

Setting DC aside, these five states had the highest median gross rent in 2024:

• California: $2,104
• Hawaii: $1,942
• Massachusetts: $1,848
• Washington: $1,824
• Colorado: $1,822

Florida ($1,812) and New Jersey ($1,800) were right behind, and in most states the median landed somewhere between $1,000 and $1,600. The pattern is mostly geographic: dense coastal and metro markets with concentrated job centers, limited buildable land, and high purchase prices that keep would-be buyers renting longer. When supply can’t keep up with demand, rents follow.

Which Are the Most Affordable States for Renters?

The five lowest state medians in 2024:

• West Virginia: $883
• North Dakota: $980
• Iowa: $981
• Arkansas: $982
• Mississippi: $990

Kentucky and Wyoming tied at $998, and South Dakota landed at $999. The least expensive markets cluster in the South and across the central United States. One caveat before you start packing: a low median rent doesn’t automatically make a state affordable, because local incomes vary right along with the rent.

What Does “Average Rent” Actually Mean?

Average vs. median rent

An average gets dragged upward by a handful of very expensive units. Median rent is the middle number: half of renter households pay less, half pay more. That’s what the Census reports, and that’s what we’re using here.

Gross rent vs. contract rent

Contract rent is the amount on the lease. Gross rent adds the utilities the renter pays: electricity, gas, water and sewer, and heating fuel. Same apartment, two different numbers.

Asking rent vs. paid rent

Asking rent is what’s advertised on units available right now. Census rent is what people currently living in rentals actually pay. Different populations, different time periods, and usually different numbers.

Why Do Rent Prices Differ From Site to Site?

You’ll see wildly different “average rent” figures depending on where you look. In July 2026, one widely cited national index put typical asking rent at $1,962, while apartment-focused sources reported figures closer to $1,663 to $1,771. Hawaii alone shows up anywhere from about $2,333 to over $3,000 across sources, and a three-bedroom single-family measure puts it at $3,800. None of them are lying. They’re measuring different things:

• Property type. Single-family houses rent higher than apartments because they’re bigger. That same July 2026 index showed $2,314 for single-family versus $1,786 for multifamily.
• Bedroom count. A studio average and a three-bedroom average aren’t comparable.
• Occupied units vs. current listings. Long-term residents often pay below current market.
• Utilities. Included or not changes the total meaningfully.
• How the state number was built. Averaging city or county figures gives a different result than weighting by actual rental units.
• Concessions. Nearly 40% of listings in that index offered them, which advertised rent doesn’t reflect.

So don’t drop $1,487 and $1,962 in the same table and call it a trend. Label the metric or the comparison is meaningless. For example, quoting a national asking-rent index next to a state Census median tells you nothing about direction.

How Much of Your Income Should Go Toward Rent?

HUD and the Census use 30% of household income as the cost-burden threshold for analysis and 50% as severely cost-burdened. These are analytical benchmarks, not laws or eligibility rules. In 2024, the median renter household spent 31% of income on gross rent, so the typical household is already putting slightly more than the benchmark toward housing costs.

At exactly 30%, supporting the national median of $1,487 would take roughly $59,480 in annual gross income. That’s arithmetic, not a requirement, and it ignores taxes, debt, childcare, commuting, and savings.

Rental affordability depends on how rent compares with median monthly income in a given state, not on the rent number alone. Florida carries one of the highest ratios in the country around 38.5%, where renters spend the largest share of income on housing, while North Dakota sits near 23.6%. Cheap rent and affordable rent aren’t the same thing. Run your own numbers with our Rent Calculator and Cost of Living Calculator before you commit to a market.

Why Your Local Housing Market May Not Match the State Median

A statewide median blends major metros, suburbs, small cities, college towns, and rural counties, plus apartments and single-family houses, into one number. It’s a shortlist tool. It is not the price of any actual home.

What moves the real number: neighborhood, square footage, bedroom count, condition, amenities, parking, pet policy, and whether utilities are included. We list rentals nationwide, from Austin and Charlotte to Chicago, Denver, Seattle, and Brooklyn, so you can hold real listings up against the benchmark instead of guessing where your money goes.

What These Numbers Mean If You’re Renting

Use the state table to narrow your options, then compare actual listings in the specific neighborhoods you’re considering. Budget for utilities separately if the listing quotes contract rent only, and account for deposits and move-in costs. With home prices and mortgage rates pricing out millions of would-be buyers since 2022, and down payment savings harder to build, more households are renting by math rather than preference. Our Rent vs. Buy Calculator will tell you which side of that line you’re on. Then browse rentals near you and apply online.

What These Numbers Mean If You Own Rental Property

Never price a unit off a state median. Price it off current local comparables, real demand, and the condition of your property, wherever it’s located. Rental property builds wealth over time, but cash flow lives or dies on the operational side: tenant placement, tenant screening, rent collection, property maintenance, property inspections, and keeping units occupied. KT Rents reports a 98% occupancy rate. As a full-service, broker-owned management company working across the U.S. since 2009, we handle all of it, including rental permits, 1099s, and court evictions, without you lifting a finger. Call (800) 716-4950 to get started.

Methodology and Update Policy

All state figures come from Census table B25064, 2024 ACS 1-year estimates, collected January through December 2024 and released September 11, 2025. One-year estimates cover 12 months; 5-year estimates cover 60. The Census Bureau has not confirmed a release date for the 2025 estimates, so 2024 remains the latest official all-state dataset. We compare each release against the previous year and review this page after every ACS update.