logo

This Is the Most Expensive City for Renters in Each State

Lilly Milman

By Lilly Milman

Jan 03, 2024

Updated on Jan 03, 2024


We analyzed our rental data to find out the most expensive city for renting in each state in America, plus Washington, DC, based on the median rent price of a one-bedroom apartment over the course of the last month. Some of our findings are:

  • The Northeast is losing its grip on the most expensive region title, as southern states continue to experience big rent hikes.
  • Sometimes, moving out of a city can be even costlier than staying directly within its bounds.
  • Coastal cities come with the highest rent prices.

Keep reading to see our insights and our full list of the most expensive city in each state. Do you see your city on the list?

Top 10: Each State's Most Expensive City

Here’s how much you’ll end up paying per month if you live alone in one of the top 10 most expensive cities by state on our list, in a one-bedroom apartment at the median price.

RankCityStatePopulationMedian Rent (1BR)
1ManhattanNY1,628,710$4,513
2Jersey CityNJ262,075$3,262
3BrooklineMA59,180$3,045
4San FranciscoCA881,549$2,850
5Miami BeachFL88,885$2,500
6RedmondWA71,929$2,317
7ArlingtonVA233,464$2,296
8WashingtonDC705,749$2,239
9CharlestonSC137,566$2,000
10ChicagoIL2,693,980$1,944

The Northeast vs. The South

Southern and Northeastern cities each account for three of the top 10 most expensive areas to rent a one-bedroom on our list. While three Northeastern cities appear at the top of our list, the South has established itself as a hotspot throughout this past year. In an earlier version of this article, Northeastern cities made up half of the top 10 most expensive cities in each state list.

The Cost of Moving Out of the City

Unsurprisingly, densely populated tech hubs like Manhattan in New York City, San Francisco, CA, Chicago, IL, and Washington, D.C. appeared in the top 10 most expensive cities by state. Jersey City and Charleston, two cities with burgeoning tech scenes, also appeared on the list.

However, some nearby commuter cities also snuck their way in:

  • Brookline, a suburb right outside of Boston, took the slot for the most expensive city in Massachusetts — despite the fact that the city of Boston is known for its highly competitive rental market. At $3,045 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, Brookline is only slightly more expensive than Boston, where the median monthly rent is $3,000 a month. By train, Brookline is between a 20-to-30-minute commute to downtown Boston.
  • Arlington, a suburb of Washington, DC, also has slightly higher rent rates for a one-bedroom apartment than the city of DC proper. Living in Arlington, which is about a 20-minute drive from DC, would cost you a little under $700 extra dollars per year.
  • Redmond, WA — which is a short drive or hour-long train ride from Seattle — made out as the most expensive city in Washington. Unlike Brookline and Arlington, rent is much more expensive in Redmond ($2,317) than nearby Seattle, WA ($1,750); moving from Seattle to Redmond could cost you a whopping $567 more per month.

Brookline, Arlington, and Redmond all offer the potential of more space for renters than their urban counterparts, as well as top-rated public school systems — an attractive combination for young renters looking to raise families by the city. Brookline and Redmond are also the smallest cities on our top 10 list by population.

It Costs More to Live on the Coast

With the exception of one city, all of the top 10 most expensive cities on our list were located either on the East or West Coast. While some are closer to the beach than others, one fact stands out when looking at our list: Living on the coast will cost you.

While the story of the Midwest has been one of extreme rent growth this past year, it still remains one of the most affordable regions to live in the US. Only Chicago appears in the top 10 — and the next midwestern city to pop up on our list is Ann Arbor, MI at No. 21.

The Most Expensive City in Each State

Find our complete list of the most expensive city in every state below.

For more data, dig into one of our Market Reports, where we rank the largest cities in the country based on rent prices on a daily basis and provide neighborhood data; our National Rent Report, where we analyzed rental data and trends across U.S. cities; or our Massachusetts Rent Report, where we analyze median rent prices for units available for rent in Massachusetts, highlighting the cities and towns with the most and least expensive median rent prices, as well as recent rent price trends.

The Most Expensive City in Each State

RankCityStatePopulationMedian Rent (1BR)
1ManhattanNew York1,628,710.00$4,513
2Jersey CityNew Jersey262,075.00$3,262
3BrooklineMassachusetts59,180.00$3,045
4San FranciscoCalifornia881,549.00$2,850
5Miami BeachFlorida88,885.00$2,500
6RedmondWashington71,929.00$2,317
7ArlingtonVirginia233,464.00$2,296
8WashingtonDistrict of Columbia705,749.00$2,239
9CharlestonSouth Carolina137,566.00$2,000
10ChicagoIllinois2,693,980.00$1,944
11New HavenConnecticut130,250.00$1,847
12East HonoluluHawaii47,540.00$1,800
13ScottsdaleArizona258,069.00$1,792
14PortlandMaine66,215.00$1,775
15BoulderColorado105,673.00$1,726
16ProvidenceRhode Island179,883.00$1,711
17BurlingtonVermont42,819.00$1,700
18BendOregon100,421.00$1,695
19AtlantaGeorgia506,811.00$1,593
20ManchesterNew Hampshire112,673.00$1,550
21Ann ArborMichigan119,980.00$1,500
22NashvilleTennessee670,820.00$1,498
23CharlotteNorth Carolina885,708.00$1,475
24PlanoTexas287,677.00$1,473
25HendersonNevada320,189.00$1,457
26BoiseIdaho228,959.00$1,295
27New OrleansLouisiana390,144.00$1,295
28PhiladelphiaPennsylvania1,584,060.00$1,285
29MadisonWisconsin259,680.00$1,272
30AnchorageArkansas288,000.00$1,250
31Overland ParkKansas195,494.00$1,228
32BaltimoreMaryland593,490.00$1,225
33Salt Lake CityUtah200,567.00$1,208
34MissoulaMontana75,516.00$1,122
35DuluthMinnesota85,618.00$1,100
36BloomingtonIndiana85,755.00$1,080
37ColumbusOhio898,553.00$1,065
38Kansas CityMissouri495,327.00$1,045
39HuntsvilleAlabama200,574.00$1,040
40WilmingtonDelaware70,166.00$1,037
41FayettevilleArkansas87,590.00$1,019
42JacksonMississippi160,628.00$995
43Rapid CitySouth Dakota77,503.00$975
44AlbuquerqueNew Mexico560,513.00$919
45Des MoinesIowa214,237.00$901
46FargoNorth Dakota124,662.00$895
47Oklahoma CityOklahoma655,057.00$889
48OmahaNebraska478,192.00$880
49LouisvilleKentucky617,638.00$850
50CheyenneWyoming64,235.00$850
51MorgantownWest Virginia30,549.00$675

Methodology

We analyzed our rental data to find out the most expensive city for renting in every state, plus Washington, DC, based on the median rent price of a one-bedroom apartment over the course of the last month. We only looked at the data for cities with populations higher than 20,000 people. The above data also includes only cities and towns that meet adequate inventory thresholds during the past month.

If you want more guidelines on rent prices as you look for your next place, start your search here. And if you want an even closer look at what a potential move may cost you with cost of living factored in, use our rent calculator.

At ApartmentAdvisor, we give every listing a deal rating to let you know if an apartment is fairly priced for the market.

If you'd like to download this report, please contact PR at amy.mueller@apartmentadvisor.com

We rate and sort every listing based on fair market rent.

Start your search

Top metro areas

Atlanta Metro Apartments

4,165 apartments starting at $404/month

Austin Metro Apartments

5,994 apartments starting at $493/month

Baltimore Metro Apartments

1,559 apartments starting at $600/month

Boston Metro Apartments

5,602 apartments starting at $425/month

Charlotte Metro Apartments

2,639 apartments starting at $449/month

Chicago Metro Apartments

4,109 apartments starting at $475/month

Dallas Fort Worth Metro Apartments

12,286 apartments starting at $400/month

Houston Metro Apartments

4,846 apartments starting at $600/month

Las Vegas Metro Apartments

2,937 apartments starting at $650/month

Los Angeles Metro Apartments

13,511 apartments starting at $450/month

Miami Metro Apartments

1,458 apartments starting at $975/month

Milwaukee Metro Apartments

1,439 apartments starting at $475/month

New York Metro Apartments

8,062 apartments starting at $465/month

Orlando Metro Apartments

2,830 apartments starting at $650/month

Philadelphia Metro Apartments

2,589 apartments starting at $500/month

Phoenix Metro Apartments

4,402 apartments starting at $650/month

Pittsburgh Metro Apartments

1,289 apartments starting at $549/month

Portland Metro Apartments

3,960 apartments starting at $412/month

Raleigh Metro Apartments

1,821 apartments starting at $600/month

Riverside Metro Apartments

1,107 apartments starting at $400/month

San Antonio Metro Apartments

3,033 apartments starting at $404/month

San Diego Metro Apartments

3,248 apartments starting at $615/month

San Francisco Metro Apartments

2,839 apartments starting at $595/month

San Jose Metro Apartments

1,209 apartments starting at $750/month

Seattle Metro Apartments

4,738 apartments starting at $650/month

Tampa Metro Apartments

1,761 apartments starting at $500/month

Washington Metro Apartments

2,536 apartments starting at $750/month