Rents are 14% below what Flagstaff's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,128 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Flagstaff usually run 2% below trend in December and 2% above it in July, about $85 a month apart at today's median. Based on 8 years of data.
Rent in Flagstaff is 1% below its high of $2,149 in February 2026, at $2,128 as of September 2026.
Rent in Flagstaff changed -0.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 45 Arizona cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.6%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Flagstaff rose 44.1% while median household income rose 21.7% ($58,748 to $71,512). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Flagstaff is 43.6% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 4 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($71,512) is $1,788 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a studio ($1,670); a 1-bedroom is $1,830.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Flagstaff, 86004 ($2,153/mo), costs 3% more than the cheapest, 86005 ($2,099/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Flagstaff. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Flagstaff, AZ is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, 52.3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Flagstaff, AZ has changed in 5 years
Rent in Flagstaff, AZ has climbed 29.4% since 2021, going from about $1,645 per month to roughly $2,128 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $61,026 in 2021 to $71,512 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 12.2 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. About 57.7% of households rent today, against 54.9% in 2021. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Flagstaff, AZ market of 2021.
Discussions about Flagstaff
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Can you afford rent in Flagstaff on your salary?
At $2,128/mo, how Flagstaff rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Flagstaff rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Flagstaff. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Flagstaff
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Flagstaff is $2,128/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,670/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,073/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,830/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,540/mo.
At 36% of local median household income ($71,512/yr), Flagstaff ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Flagstaff?
At $2,128/mo, rent takes ~36% of Flagstaff's median household income ($71,512/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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