This Is the Most Expensive City for Renters in Each State

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:

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?

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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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