Realtor.com® December Rental Report: Rental Market Wraps Up 2021 with Price Growth That's 5.3 Times Faster than in 2020

Rhea-AI Summary

According to the Realtor.com® Monthly Rental Report, national rents in 2021 grew an average of 10.1%, significantly outpacing the 1.9% increase seen in 2020. December marked the sixth consecutive month of double-digit yearly rent hikes, with Miami, Tampa, and Orlando leading the surge, each experiencing over 34% growth. The median rental price reached $1,781, a 19.3% year-over-year increase. While monthly growth decelerated in December, the trend suggests rising rental costs will challenge affordability in 2022 as more renters consider transitioning to homeownership.

Positive

• 2021 national rents increased by an average of 10.1%, a substantial recovery from 2020's 1.9% growth.
• Miami, Tampa, and Orlando experienced over 34% rent growth, indicating strong market demand.
• The December median rental price reached $1,781, reflecting a 19.3% increase year-over-year.

Negative

• Monthly growth in rents cooled in December, signaling potential challenges in maintaining high growth rates.
• Rental affordability issues are expected to escalate in 2022, posing challenges for many Americans.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New data shows national rents grew five times faster in 2021 than in 2020, on average, according to the Realtor.com^® Monthly Rental Report released today. In December, rents notched the sixth straight month of double-digit yearly increases nationwide and surged in the majority of large metros, led by Miami, Tampa, Fla. and Orlando with gains of more than 34% each.   

"On average in 2021, national rents were more than 10% higher than in 2020. As our December report further illustrates, this average understates the wild ride that the rental market, and many renters, experienced in 2021. Rents started the year roughly flat and gained incredible momentum throughout the year, hitting double-digit yearly pace by summer and continuing to surge through December," said Realtor.com^® Chief Economist Danielle Hale. "While yearly growth is still strong, monthly growth cooled in December, which is typical for this time of year and not expected to last. With rents already at a high and expected to keep going up, rental affordability will increasingly challenge many Americans in 2022. For those thinking about making the transition from renting to buying their first home, rising rents will remain a motivating factor even as for-sale home prices and mortgage rates continue to climb."

2021 Realtor.com^® Rental Metrics – National

Unit Size	Dec. 2021 Median Rental Price	Dec. 2021 Rent Change Over 2020	Average 2021 Rent Change Over 2020	Average 2020 Rent Change Over 2019
Overall	$1,781	19.3%	10.1%	1.9%
Studio	$1,462	18.6%	6.1%	-0.7%
1-bed	$1,651	19.3%	10.0%	1.9%
2-bed	$2,003	19.1%	11.7%	3.7%

The Streak Continues: U.S. rents hit sixth straight months of double-digit growth
Largely attributed to winter seasonality, the U.S. median rental price posted a smaller monthly gain in December compared to earlier in 2021. However, December rental trends also reflect a shift in demand towards smaller rental units common to major metropolitan centers. For instance, two-bedroom rents posted monthly declines for the first time since November2020 in December, after skyrocketing earlier in 2021 as workplace flexibility enabled some big city renters to explore smaller markets offering more space for their money. Now that more workers are returning to downtown offices, studio rents accelerated at a faster pace than larger unit rents in December and helped overall rents remain at a double-digit percentage point higher than in 2020 for the sixth month in a row. 

• In December, the U.S. median rental price grew 19.3% year-over-year to $1,781, which was relatively flat from last month's level ($1,780).
• Larger unit rents posted smaller monthly gains than seen from October to November, but grew by double-digits over December 2020. Among 0-2 bedroom units, the median rental price for one-bedrooms grew at the fastest annual pace, up 19.3% to $1,651.
• December rental prices for two bedroom units ($2,003) increased 19.1% year-over-year, coming in slightly below the November median ($2,005).
• The median studio rental price continued to accelerate in December, rising 18.6% over the same month in 2020 to a two-year high of $1,462.

A Major Comeback: National rents closed out 2021 strong, after a slow start
U.S. rental markets took consumers on a wild ride over the course of 2021. Following shallow growth in the first two months of the year, rents began to recover before hitting a double-digit pace in summer which continued through end-of-year. The early gains were led by secondary markets and larger units, driven by the migration of big city renters to smaller rental markets where budgets stretched further. Even as the big city rental recovery began, as reported in September, the 2021 surge in secondary rental market popularity and prices continued, and helped offset slower early-year growth. As a result, the average pace of growth in overall U.S. rents closed out the year at more than five-times faster than in 2020.

• Nationally, rent growth hit a double-digit pace in 2021, up an average of 10.1% – 5.3 times higher than the 2020 rate (+1.9%) and above the Realtor.com^® Forecast for 2022 (+7.1%).
• With demand for space rising during COVID, larger unit rents posted the biggest annual gains among unit sizes in 2021, each rising at a double-digit pace. Over the past 12 months, average year-over-year rent growth for two-bedroom and one-bedroom units was 11.7% (+$196) and 10.0% (+$139), respectively.
• Common to big cities that saw an exodus of renters earlier in the pandemic, studio rents declined at the beginning of 2021. However, studio rents began to recover in the second half of the year as downtown offices and attractions began to reopen, and ended 2021 at an average annual growth rate of 6.1% (+$76).

2021's Cinderella Story: Remote work drives skyrocketing rents in secondary markets
The real "Cinderella story" of the 2021 rental market was among smaller secondary metros. The year's fastest-growing rental markets were all outside of big tech cities, with the top 10 led by the relatively affordable Los Angeles alternative of Riverside, Calif. Rental popularity in these secondary metros was driven by a number of COVID-related trends in consumer preferences, including the need for more space and easier access to the outdoors. As a result, 2021 annual rent growth across the top 10, on average, was two times faster than the national rate.

• In 2021, rents increased by an average of 20.7% in the top 10 markets, led by Riverside (+28.5%), Tampa (+25.6%), Memphis (+23.0%), Miami (+22.1%) and Sacramento (+19.5%). Additionally, December data shows many of these markets remained among the fastest-growing metro areas through end-of-year.
• A key trend driving rental demand and price growth in these areas is rising workplace flexibility. In half of 2021's fastest-growing rental markets, LinkedIn data shows the share of job seekers applying for remote work roles is higher than national average (25.2%)¹, led by Tampa (29.6%).
• Comparatively, big tech cities dominated the 2021 list of slowest-growing rental markets, with average rent growth across these 10 metros ending the year at just 2.0%. However, 2021 data shows big city rents recovered significantly from sharp drops earlier in the year, with average rents declining in just two of the bottom 10. (see table below)

Hale added, "Regardless of where you live, renting is generally more expensive now than in prior years. However, expected income growth could give renters more negotiating power – especially if you continue to have workplace flexibility. Those able to work big city jobs while living in secondary metros are still likely to find more affordable rental options than in the biggest tech cities. Take the example of Tampa – despite being one of the fastest-growing rental markets in 2021, the December median rental price ($2,038) remained significantly lower than in a big northeastern city like New York ($2,670)."

Whether renters are interested in making a move to a new rental unit in their area or in another state, they can use the Realtor.com^® Rentals App to fine-tune their search and set up alerts about new rental listings that match their criteria. For renters interested in making the transition to buying their first home, the Realtor.com^® Rent vs. Buy Calculator provides helpful tools for helping them to assess the many financial factors and make the right decision for their families and budgets.

2021 Realtor.com^® Rental Metrics – Metros with the Fastest and Slowest Rent Growth

Fastest Growth			Slowest Growth
Rank	Metro	Average 2021 Rent Change Over 2020	Rank	Metro	Average 2021 Rent Change Over 2020
1	Riverside, Calif.	28.5%	1	San Francisco, Calif.	-2.5%
2	Tampa, Fla.	25.6%	2	San Jose, Calif.	-0.3%
3	Memphis, Tenn.	23.0%	3	Chicago, Ill.	0.4%
4	Miami, Fla.	22.1%	4	Boston, Mass.	0.7%
5	Sacramento, Calif.	19.5%	5	New York, N.Y.	1.4%
6	Las Vegas, Nev.	18.9%	6	Minneapolis, Minn.	2.4%
7	Phoenix, Ariz.	18.8%	7	Washington, D.C.	3.0%
8	San Diego, Calif.	17.5%	8	Milwaukee, Wis.	4.7%
9	Jacksonville, Fla.	17.2%	9	Philadelphia, Pa.	4.8%
10	Orlando, Fla.	16.3%	10	Seattle, Wash.	5.2%

Dec. 2021 Realtor.com^® Rental Metrics – 50 Largest U.S. Metro Areas

Metropolitan Statistical Area	Overall Median Rent	Overall Rent Y/Y	Studio Median Rent	Studio Rent Y/Y	1-br Median Rent	1-br Rent Y/Y	2-br Median Rent	2-br Rent Y/Y
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga.	$1,808	21.8%	$1,611	18.9%	$1,689	23.7%	$2,010	21.4%
Austin-Round Rock, Texas	$1,717	28.7%	$1,443	30.6%	$1,568	29.2%	$1,916	29.0%
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Md.	$1,769	13.6%	$1,595	24.4%	$1,706	14.0%	$1,873	13.0%
Birmingham-Hoover, Ala.	$1,249	22.2%	$1,083	7.2%	$1,191	22.1%	$1,313	24.2%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass.-N.H.	$2,726	18.5%	$2,470	28.6%	$2,535	18.6%	$3,000	15.3%
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, N.Y.	$1,435	20.1%	$1,098	38.6%	$1,295	21.0%	$1,615	19.6%
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.-S.C.	$1,598	21.3%	$1,456	23.2%	$1,475	20.4%	$1,755	17.9%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wis.	$1,800	11.6%	$1,360	8.5%	$1,798	15.3%	$2,000	5.5%
Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.	$1,400	15.9%	$1,175	17.5%	$1,346	17.8%	$1,562	17.8%
Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio	$1,352	16.9%	$1,000	26.7%	$1,319	19.9%	$1,450	13.9%
Columbus, Ohio	$1,247	14.1%	$1,008	12.1%	$1,150	15.1%	$1,385	15.6%
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas	$1,590	23.4%	$1,353	25.8%	$1,456	24.9%	$1,893	24.7%
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo.	$1,901	17.9%	$1,598	18.3%	$1,781	19.0%	$2,192	18.2%
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich.	$1,400	12.1%	$1,150	15.1%	$1,240	18.2%	$1,529	11.7%
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Conn.	$1,729	15.5%	$1,328	13.0%	$1,611	13.3%	$2,025	13.0%
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas	$1,389	15.9%	$1,312	19.5%	$1,263	17.3%	$1,570	17.0%
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Ind.	$1,226	12.0%	$1,023	6.0%	$1,117	8.8%	$1,356	12.9%
Jacksonville, Fla.	$1,583	29.0%	$1,380	29.9%	$1,476	30.3%	$1,728	31.2%
Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.	$1,225	11.2%	$989	10.5%	$1,100	10.5%	$1,455	12.4%
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nev.	$1,631	29.8%	$1,126	32.4%	$1,505	30.3%	$1,769	29.4%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif.	$2,952	18.1%	$2,252	18.5%	$2,707	19.9%	$3,467	18.4%
Louisville/Jefferson County, Ky.-Ind.	$1,181	16.2%	$938	3.8%	$1,074	12.1%	$1,322	16.7%
Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark.	$1,324	29.4%	$1,173	19.6%	$1,317	33.0%	$1,371	28.3%
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Fla.	$2,850	49.8%	$2,300	44.4%	$2,507	47.1%	$3,234	44.1%
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis.	$1,527	11.0%	$1,195	9.1%	$1,403	8.0%	$1,758	11.6%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis.	$1,535	6.7%	$1,238	6.8%	$1,448	5.7%	$1,870	10.3%
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, Tenn,	$1,693	23.6%	$1,676	23.5%	$1,600	24.1%	$1,815	25.1%
New Orleans-Metairie, La.	$1,774	18.3%	$995	-16.8%	$1,595	13.9%	$2,125	25.0%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa.	$2,670	6.8%	$2,275	11.9%	$2,443	3.1%	$2,980	3.2%
Oklahoma City, Okla.	$949	15.7%	$785	5.4%	$896	20.6%	$1,008	13.6%
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla.	$1,807	34.1%	$1,602	28.5%	$1,675	34.9%	$2,048	41.4%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md.	$1,787	11.9%	$1,427	13.0%	$1,703	10.7%	$2,000	11.1%
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.	$1,800	26.7%	$1,435	38.3%	$1,598	28.6%	$2,095	27.9%
Pittsburgh, Pa.	$1,500	18.5%	$1,275	31.4%	$1,458	22.5%	$1,613	13.4%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore.-Wash.	$1,759	16.8%	$1,424	13.7%	$1,705	17.0%	$1,985	17.0%
Providence-Warwick,R.I.-Mass.	$2,000	15.9%	$1,650	3.8%	$1,755	11.4%	$2,263	19.0%
Raleigh, N.C.	$1,532	23.6%	$1,393	22.5%	$1,417	25.1%	$1,682	23.1%
Richmond, Va.	$1,419	18.2%	$1,153	17.2%	$1,316	22.3%	$1,558	19.3%
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.	$2,550	27.2%	$1,583	18.9%	$2,150	23.4%	$2,832	23.4%
Rochester, N.Y.	$1,333	11.1%	$945	5.0%	$1,200	8.1%	$1,495	10.9%
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, Calif.	$2,103	21.6%	$1,945	20.4%	$1,973	21.4%	$2,239	21.0%
San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas	$1,306	19.4%	$1,153	17.9%	$1,204	20.5%	$1,502	22.1%
San Diego-Carlsbad, Calif.	$2,970	29.3%	$2,326	21.2%	$2,718	29.4%	$3,350	27.8%
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif.	$2,956	11.1%	$2,433	19.1%	$2,760	12.8%	$3,490	10.7%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.	$2,998	13.6%	$2,463	23.9%	$2,771	15.9%	$3,410	15.0%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.	$2,110	21.9%	$1,728	26.7%	$2,069	22.5%	$2,563	25.1%
St. Louis, Mo.-Ill.	$1,262	9.7%	$975	1.3%	$1,200	9.1%	$1,388	11.0%
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.	$2,038	35.9%	$1,885	32.9%	$1,840	37.3%	$2,261	37.0%
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Va.-N.C.	$1,503	18.1%	$1,207	9.1%	$1,428	14.8%	$1,608	17.8%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Va.-Md.-W. Va.	$2,102	13.6%	$1,724	14.6%	$2,009	12.7%	$2,448	12.7%

Methodology
Rental data as of December 2021 for units advertised as for-rent on Realtor.com^®. Rental units include apartment communities as well as private rentals (condos, townhomes, single-family homes). All units were studio, 1-bedroom, or 2-bedroom units. We use communities that reliably report data each month within the top 50 largest metropolitan areas. National rents were calculated by averaging the medians of the 50 largest metropolitan areas.

Note: Realtor.com^® rental data history begins March 2019. As a result, the average year-over-year growth in 2020 is estimated based on rent data between March 2020 and December 2020.

About Realtor.com^®
Realtor.com^® makes buying, selling, renting and living in homes easier and more rewarding for everyone. Realtor.com^® pioneered the world of digital real estate more than 25 years ago, and today through its website and mobile apps offers a marketplace where people can learn about their options, trust in the transparency of information provided to them, and get services and resources that are personalized to their needs. Using proprietary data science and machine learning technology, Realtor.com^® pairs buyers and sellers with local agents in their market, helping take the guesswork out of buying and selling a home. For professionals, Realtor.com^® is a trusted provider of consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. For more information, visit Realtor.com^®.

Media Contact
rachel.conner@move.com 

¹ The 118-market average used by LinkedIn, which does not directly match Realtor.com^® geographic areas used in this release.

 

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SOURCE Realtor.com

FAQ

What are the national rent growth rates for 2021 according to the Realtor.com® report?

National rents grew by an average of 10.1% in 2021, significantly higher than the 1.9% increase seen in 2020.

Which cities experienced the highest rent growth in December 2021?

Miami, Tampa, and Orlando led the way with over 34% growth in median rents.

What is the current median rental price in the U.S. as of December 2021?

The U.S. median rental price in December 2021 was $1,781, marking a 19.3% increase from the previous year.

How does December 2021 rent growth compare to earlier months in 2021?

December marked the sixth straight month of double-digit rent growth, although monthly growth decelerated compared to earlier months.

What challenges are renters expected to face in 2022 regarding rental affordability?

Rising rents are expected to challenge rental affordability, motivating some renters to consider buying homes.