10 Unexpected Cities Seeing the Fastest Rent Hikes

You expect to pay top dollar to rent a home in New York or Los Angeles, but many smaller cities are catching up fast. Rent prices have skyrocketed over the past year and have continued to surge in early 2023.

As of April 2023, the typical monthly rent in the U.S. was $2,013, according to Zillow. The typical change in rent from last year was 5.3%.

While some cities on this list are still enjoying average rents well below the U.S. average — at least for now — all had year-to-date changes in rent notably higher than average.

At least geographically, the cities don’t have much in common. They’re located all across the U.S., and some are suburbs of larger cities, one is a beach town and others offer a strongly suburban feel.

Regardless, they’re all united by skyrocketing rents. There’s no way to tell if this trend will hold, but any rent controlled apartments in these areas are likely more attractive than ever right now.

Keep reading to find out where rent is surging in the U.S. — in places where you’d least expect it.

• March 2023 rent: $2,733
• January 2023 rent: $2,513
• March 2022 rent: $2,653
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 3.01%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $80
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 8.76%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $220

• March 2023 rent: $1,189
• January 2023 rent: $1,092
• March 2022 rent: $960
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 23.78%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $228
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 8.88%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $97

• March 2023 rent: $1,716
• January 2023 rent: $1,576
• March 2022 rent: $1,594
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 7.70%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $123
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 8.91%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $140

• March 2023 rent: $1,732
• January 2023 rent: $1,587
• March 2022 rent: $1,566
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 10.64%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $167
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 9.18%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $146

• March 2023 rent: $1,199
• January 2023 rent: $1,087
• March 2022 rent: $1,043
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 14.91%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $156
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 10.29%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $112

• March 2023 rent: $2,214
• January 2023 rent: $2,004
• March 2022 rent: $2,101
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 5.36%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $113
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 10.49%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $210

• March 2023 rent: $2,199
• January 2023 rent: $1,968
• March 2022 rent: $1,919
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 14.55%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $279
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 11.72%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $231

• March 2023 rent: $881
• January 2023 rent: $787
• March 2022 rent: $766
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 15.14%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $116
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 11.95%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $94

• March 2023 rent: $1,806
• January 2023 rent: $1,611
• March 2022 rent: $1,563
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 15.55%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $243
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 12.10%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $195

• March 2023 rent: $1,315
• January 2023 rent: $1,120
• March 2022 rent: $1,060
• Year-over-year change in rent (percent): 24.13%
• Year-over-year change in rent: $256
• Year-to-date change in rent (percent): 17.46%
• Year-to-date change in rent: $195

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates used Zillow’s March 2023 rental data and looked at all markets with a size ranking below 2,000 (meaning they are not one of the 2,000 largest markets). From there, we found the 30 places with the largest year-to-date percent change in rent, that also had a positive year-over-year percent change in rent. All data was collected and is accurate as of May 9, 2023.