These 5 Cities Have Unexpectedly Cheap Rent Right Now
If you’re looking for a new apartment to rent this year, you might be worried about rental prices. Have no fear: A new Zumper report, which looked at the cities where rent costs are rising and falling the fastest, has predicted that apartment costs will stabilize during the second half of 2025.
Zumper examined data from over 1 million active listings during July 2024 to July 2025 to calculate the average rent for the top 100 most-populated cities nationwide, as well as 300 nearby cities in big urban areas. The real estate platform also saw how rent either decreased or increased during a one-year period during what’s typically the most expensive time of the year for new renters.
If you’re looking to move in 2025, consider these five cities where rent is cheaper (and avoid the five where rent is skyrocketing).
The 5. U.S. Cities Where Rent Is Falling the Fastest for One-Bedroom Apartments
- Jersey City, NJ — 16.7% decrease
- Aurora, CO — 13.3% decrease
- Glendale, AZ — 13% decrease
- Chicago, IL — 11.9% decrease
- Norfolk, VA — 11.6% decrease
Jersey City, NJ, led the pack for cities where the price of apartments is plummeting the quickest, due to a whopping 16.7% decrease in rent for a one bedroom (now $2,740) from this same time last year. Aurora, CO, came in second with a negative 13.3% change for a average $1,300 one bedroom, while Glendale, AZ, followed close behind with a 13% decrease for a $1,070 average one bedroom.
Meanwhile, Chicago came in fourth with a 11.9% decrease for a one bedroom, which now costs on average $2,000 over the past year. Norfolk, VA, where a one bedroom is on average $1,220, also saw an 11.6% decrease in rent.
The 5 U.S. Cities Where Rent Is Rising the Fastest for One-Bedroom Apartments
Zumper also noted that there were cities with one bedrooms that jumped greatly in rent year over year.
- Cincinnati, OH — 14% increase
- San Francisco, CA — 12.5% increase
- New Haven, CT — 11.5% increase
- Syracuse, NY — 10.8% increase
- Memphis, TN — 9.9% increase
Cincinnati, where a one bedroom is on average $1,140, saw a jump of 14%, while San Francisco, where a one bedroom goes for around $3,330, also saw a boom over the past year with a 12.5% increase.
New Haven, CT, came in next with an 11.5% increase on rent (now $2,040), while Syracuse, NY, where a one bedroom averages $1,330, followed close behind with a 10.8% jump. Last but not least, Memphis also became significantly more expensive for renters. Its one bedrooms now cost an average of $1,000 due to an increase of 9.9%.
In general, Zumper found that for the first time in 14 months, the rent of an average one bedroom in the U.S. ($1,520) declined by 0.4% year over year. However, the rent for a two bedroom ($1,910) saw a slight increase by 0.2% during that same period. The real estate site also noted rent prices plateauing during what’s typically a hot renting season, a stabilization that it partly attributed to an influx of new renting options.
While this might signal a positive trend for renters in an expensive renting market, factors like a city’s desirability, available inventory, and competition all play a role in what you pay every month.