Rent in every state capital, from $3,414 in Boston to $1,035 in Frankfort
State capitals share a housing profile, and it isn't the one that makes headlines. Steady government payrolls, a university more often than not, and rarely the boom-and-bust cycle of the state's commercial hub. Ranked by rent, they run from $3,414 in Boston to $1,035 in Frankfort.
The pattern that jumps out is how often the capital undercuts its state's largest city, sometimes by a lot.
The most expensive capitals
| Capital | Typical rent | One-bedroom | Year over year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | $3,414 | $2,698 | -2.2% |
| Honolulu, HI | $2,678 | $2,122 | +7.7% |
| Annapolis, MD | $2,386 | $2,010 | +8.9% |
| Providence, RI | $2,281 | $1,440 | +8.4% |
| Sacramento, CA | $2,064 | $1,739 | +3.1% |
| Trenton, NJ | $2,045 | $1,628 | -6.8% |
| Olympia, WA | $2,008 | $1,538 | +6.2% |
| Atlanta, GA | $1,936 | $1,851 | +4.1% |
| Denver, CO | $1,884 | $1,874 | +3.2% |
| Boise, ID | $1,857 | $1,611 | +10.8% |
Boston, Honolulu, Atlanta, and Denver are also their states' largest cities, which is why they lead. The capitals that are only capitals sit lower, and Sacramento is the clearest case you'll find. At $2,064 it costs $2,475 a month less than San Francisco, in a state where a government job pays the same in either place.
The cheapest capitals
| Capital | Typical rent | One-bedroom | Year over year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfort, KY | $1,035 | $970 | -3.4% |
| Jefferson City, MO | $1,105 | $670 | +29.1% |
| Des Moines, IA | $1,131 | $970 | +1.8% |
| Springfield, IL | $1,151 | $890 | +3.2% |
| Little Rock, AR | $1,230 | $924 | +7.9% |
| Lansing, MI | $1,231 | $887 | -0.7% |
| Jackson, MS | $1,251 | $991 | -1.0% |
| Topeka, KS | $1,287 | $832 | +14.1% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $1,290 | $1,015 | +3.5% |
Des Moines is the best of these for a renter who wants a real city and doesn't want to pay for one. It's a metro of more than 200,000 with an insurance and finance job base, a one-bedroom at $970, and rent rising a modest 1.8%. Springfield, Illinois runs a similar profile at $1,151 while sitting three hours from Chicago's $2,395.
Jefferson City's 29.1% jump should be read with care, since it's a city of 42,000 where a few listings can move the median, and we explained why in why small-city rent numbers swing.
The capital discount
Where the capital and the biggest city aren't the same place, the capital is cheaper in nearly every state, and the gap scales with how expensive the big city is.
| State | Capital | Largest city | Monthly gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Sacramento $2,064 | San Francisco $4,539 | $2,475 |
| New York | Albany $1,635 | New York $4,170 | $2,535 |
| Washington | Olympia $2,008 | Seattle $2,238 | $230 |
| Illinois | Springfield $1,151 | Chicago $2,395 | $1,244 |
| Florida | Tallahassee $1,482 | Miami $3,008 | $1,526 |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg $1,382 | Philadelphia $1,797 | $415 |
| Texas | Austin $1,610 | Houston $1,561 | -$49 |
Texas is the exception, and it's an instructive one. Austin outgrew its government-town profile a decade ago and now costs slightly more than Houston, which is what happens when a capital picks up a tech industry.
The capitals rising fastest are small ones catching up: Charleston, West Virginia at 19.4%, Augusta, Maine at 14.4%, and Topeka at 14.1%. Three capitals, Juneau, Pierre, and Montpelier, are too small for our data to cover reliably, so they're left out of the ranking.
Sources
- RentDataNow city rent data for 47 state capitals and comparison cities, anchored to the Zillow Observed Rent Index, June 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state capital has the highest rent?
Boston, at about $3,414 a month, followed by Honolulu at $2,678 and Annapolis at $2,386. Boston, Honolulu, Atlanta, and Denver rank high partly because they are also their states' largest cities.
Which state capital is cheapest to rent in?
Frankfort, Kentucky at about $1,035 a month, then Jefferson City, Missouri at $1,105 and Des Moines, Iowa at $1,131. Des Moines is the largest of the three and offers a one-bedroom at about $970.
Is it cheaper to live in a state capital than the biggest city?
Almost always, when they are different places. Sacramento is $2,475 a month below San Francisco and Albany $2,535 below New York City. Austin is the main exception, costing slightly more than Houston after its tech boom.
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Henry Jo is a housing analyst covering rent data, affordability, city comparisons, and much more. He started following rental data while apartment hunting in two cities at once, and he lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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