In June, the median national rent rose 3 percent year-over-year, continuing a nine-month rising streak, according to the latest Zillow Real Estate Market Report. With a median national rent of $1,483, all but one of the 50 largest markets posted pricier rents, the report shows.
“As much as record numbers of new apartments led many to believe that rental markets might have become oversaturated with new supply, the reality is that demographics and general economic health continue to keep the pressure on,” says Skylar Olsen, director of Economic Research at Zillow.
According to Olsen, affordable apartments are highly in-demand, driving monthly payments up.
“Yes, we saw rents fall in 2018, but that was driven by the concentration of supply in urban areas and large buildings at higher-end price points competing against each other,” Olsen says. “What the rental market still craves are affordable units spread across the landscape. Show me a three-bedroom apartment in a small building located near good schools and I’ll show you an older millennial with kids ready to move in.”
On the homeownership side, home prices rose 5.2 percent year-over-year, downshifting to a more normalized pace from 7.6 percent the prior year, the report shows. The median value was $227,700. A backtrack dragged down inventory overall 0.8 percent, but for-sale homes sprouted up in San Jose and Vegas.
Breaking down the largest markets:
For more information, please visit www.zillow.com.
