Washington, DC rent by zip code: the cheapest neighborhoods are rising fastest
Typical rent in Washington, DC rose 0.4% over the past year, to $2,517 a month, according to RentDataNow data for August 2026. It's up 14.3% since August 2021, a slower climb than Boston's 29.7% or Seattle's 15.8% over the same stretch.
Zip by zip, the city split along price lines. The three cheapest zips, all east of the Anacostia River, posted the three biggest gains, while several of the priciest parts of Northwest DC slipped. Against DC's median household income of $109,870, the citywide typical rent takes about 27.5%, which isn't far under the usual 30% line.
Zip | Area | Typical rent | 1-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
AU Park, Tenleytown | $2,832 | -1.4% | |
Foggy Bottom, West End | $2,768 | -0.1% | |
Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan | $2,739 | +0.6% | |
Logan Circle, Downtown | $2,662 | +1.2% | |
Shaw, NoMa | $2,654 | +0.6% | |
Dupont Circle south, Golden Triangle | $2,603 | +0.3% | |
Georgetown, Glover Park | $2,542 | +1.1% | |
Capitol Hill, Navy Yard | $2,536 | -0.8% | |
H Street, Capitol Hill northeast | $2,465 | +0.9% | |
Brookland | $2,447 | +3.4% | |
Columbia Heights | $2,447 | +0.7% | |
Southwest Waterfront | $2,403 | -0.7% | |
Chevy Chase | $2,319 | -0.4% | |
Petworth, Brightwood | $2,289 | +1.7% | |
Cleveland Park, Woodley Park | $2,225 | -1.8% | |
Takoma, Shepherd Park | $2,223 | +2.1% | |
Woodridge, Langdon | $2,084 | -0.2% | |
Anacostia, Hillcrest | $2,060 | +3.7% | |
Deanwood, Benning | $1,835 | +9.0% | |
Congress Heights | $1,594 | +6.3% |
The cheapest zips rose fastest
Deanwood and Benning (20019) rose 9.0% to $1,835, Congress Heights (20032) rose 6.3% to $1,594, and Anacostia and Hillcrest (20020) rose 3.7% to $2,060. Together those three zips are home to more than 150,000 people, and they're the three cheapest in the city.
Outside that corner of the city, Brookland (20017) had the biggest gain, up 3.4% to $2,447, followed by Takoma and Shepherd Park (20012) at 2.1% and Petworth and Brightwood (20011) at 1.7%. Brookland has its own Red Line stop, and Petworth's on the Green Line.
Parts of Northwest DC slipped
Rent fell in 7 of the 20 zips. The biggest drops were in Cleveland Park and Woodley Park (20008), down 1.8%, and AU Park and Tenleytown (20016), down 1.4%, though AU Park and Tenleytown is still the priciest zip in the table at $2,832. Georgetown and Glover Park (20007) rose 1.1%, and Foggy Bottom and the West End (20037) was essentially flat, down 0.1%.
Landlords across the region are also offering deals. In July, 54.0% of rental listings in the Washington metro came with a concession, according to Zillow, well above the national 39.8%. That gives renters room to ask, and we've covered how in negotiating your rent. For the Virginia side of the river, see Richmond vs. Arlington rent.
Sources
RentDataNow Washington, DC rent data, city and zip code rents anchored to the Zillow Observed Rent Index, August 2026
Zillow Research, July 2026 rent report, for concession shares
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, for median household income and zip code population
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Washington, DC?
Typical rent in Washington, DC was $2,517 a month in August 2026, up 0.4% over the year and 14.3% since August 2021. By zip code it ranged from $1,594 in Congress Heights to $2,832 in AU Park and Tenleytown.
What is the cheapest zip code to rent in DC?
Congress Heights (20032), east of the Anacostia River, at a typical $1,594 a month in August 2026. Deanwood and Benning (20019) was next at $1,835. Both rose over the past year, by 6.3% and 9.0%.
Which DC neighborhoods are rising fastest?
Deanwood and Benning (20019) rose 9.0% over the year, followed by Congress Heights (20032) at 6.3% and Anacostia and Hillcrest (20020) at 3.7%. All three are east of the Anacostia River and are the city's cheapest zip codes.
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Jennifer Han is the editor in chief of RentDataNow, covering rent trends, housing costs, and more. She was a real-estate agent before she moved to writing about the market.
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