Median rent, including utilities, is $1,565 a month in the U.S. as of October 2026. In 1950 it was $42.00, or $588 in today’s dollars. Adjusted for inflation, rent is 2.7 times as high as in 1950.
Price at the time In October 2026 dollars
U.S. median rent including utilities. ≈ marks estimates between data points.
| Year | Price | In today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $42.00 | $588 |
| 1951 | ≈$44.33 | ≈$575 |
| 1952 | ≈$46.78 | ≈$593 |
| 1953 | ≈$49.38 | ≈$621 |
| 1954 | ≈$52.11 | ≈$656 |
| 1955 | $55.00 | $692 |
| 1956 | ≈$57.88 | ≈$718 |
| 1957 | ≈$60.91 | ≈$731 |
| 1958 | ≈$64.11 | ≈$748 |
| 1959 | ≈$67.47 | ≈$779 |
| 1960 | $71.00 | $809 |
| 1961 | ≈$73.60 | ≈$830 |
| 1962 | ≈$76.30 | ≈$852 |
| 1963 | ≈$79.10 | ≈$872 |
| 1964 | ≈$81.99 | ≈$892 |
| 1965 | $85.00 | $910 |
| 1966 | ≈$89.17 | ≈$925 |
| 1967 | ≈$93.55 | ≈$945 |
| 1968 | ≈$98.13 | ≈$951 |
| 1969 | ≈$103 | ≈$946 |
| 1970 | $108 | $939 |
| 1971 | ≈$118 | ≈$979 |
| 1972 | ≈$128 | ≈$1,032 |
| 1973 | ≈$139 | ≈$1,058 |
| 1974 | ≈$152 | ≈$1,037 |
| 1975 | $165 | $1,034 |
| 1976 | ≈$178 | ≈$1,057 |
| 1977 | ≈$193 | ≈$1,072 |
| 1978 | ≈$208 | ≈$1,077 |
| 1979 | ≈$225 | ≈$1,045 |
| 1980 | $243 | $995 |
| 1981 | ≈$261 | ≈$970 |
| 1982 | ≈$281 | ≈$983 |
| 1983 | ≈$302 | ≈$1,024 |
| 1984 | ≈$325 | ≈$1,056 |
| 1985 | $350 | $1,097 |
| 1986 | ≈$368 | ≈$1,131 |
| 1987 | ≈$386 | ≈$1,146 |
| 1988 | ≈$405 | ≈$1,156 |
| 1989 | ≈$426 | ≈$1,158 |
| 1990 | $447 | $1,153 |
| 1991 | ≈$461 | ≈$1,141 |
| 1992 | ≈$475 | ≈$1,142 |
| 1993 | ≈$489 | ≈$1,142 |
| 1994 | ≈$505 | ≈$1,148 |
| 1995 | $520 | $1,151 |
| 1996 | ≈$535 | ≈$1,152 |
| 1997 | ≈$551 | ≈$1,159 |
| 1998 | ≈$568 | ≈$1,175 |
| 1999 | ≈$585 | ≈$1,184 |
| 2000 | $602 | $1,179 |
| 2001 | ≈$625 | ≈$1,191 |
| 2002 | ≈$650 | ≈$1,218 |
| 2003 | ≈$675 | ≈$1,237 |
| 2004 | ≈$701 | ≈$1,251 |
| 2005 | $728 | $1,257 |
| 2006 | ≈$752 | ≈$1,258 |
| 2007 | ≈$776 | ≈$1,263 |
| 2008 | ≈$802 | ≈$1,256 |
| 2009 | ≈$828 | ≈$1,302 |
| 2010 | $855 | $1,322 |
| 2011 | ≈$875 | ≈$1,312 |
| 2012 | ≈$895 | ≈$1,315 |
| 2013 | ≈$916 | ≈$1,326 |
| 2014 | ≈$937 | ≈$1,335 |
| 2015 | $959 | $1,365 |
| 2016 | ≈$985 | ≈$1,384 |
| 2017 | $1,012 | $1,393 |
| 2018 | ≈$1,054 | ≈$1,415 |
| 2019 | $1,097 | $1,447 |
| 2020 | $1,150 | $1,500 |
| 2021 | $1,191 | $1,474 |
| 2022 | $1,300 | $1,480 |
| 2023 | $1,406 | $1,552 |
| 2024 | $1,487 | $1,595 |
| 2025 | $1,530 | $1,598 |
| Oct 2026 (latest) | $1,565 | $1,565 |
Among the 2,314 U.S. places with at least 20,000 people, as of October 2026. The local median rent from the Census American Community Survey (the county’s figure when the place has fewer than 5,000 people). Housing gaps between places were smaller decades ago, and the older estimates narrow them accordingly.
| Cupertino, CA | $3,878 |
| Danville, CA | $3,878 |
| Rancho Palos Verdes, CA | $3,878 |
| Foster City, CA | $3,878 |
| Southlake, TX | $3,878 |
| Youngstown, OH | $806 |
| New Castle, PA | $820 |
| San Luis, AZ | $820 |
| Jamestown, NY | $840 |
| Aberdeen, SD | $843 |
Census Bureau median gross rent, from the decennial census and the American Community Survey.
For cities: The local median rent from the Census American Community Survey (the county’s figure when the place has fewer than 5,000 people). Housing gaps between places were smaller decades ago, and the older estimates narrow them accordingly.
Each year shows the U.S. figure at midyear. Years marked ≈ fall between this series’ data points and are estimated by smooth interpolation between them. Today’s dollars use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). How it works.
Monthly mortgage payment by yearAverage property tax bill by year
What everything cost in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020. All prices.