Rents are 3% below what Hartford'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 $1,555 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
March. Asking rents in Hartford usually run 1% below trend in March and 0.6% above it in November, about $25 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Hartford is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in March 2016.
Rent in Hartford changed +3.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 41 Connecticut cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.7%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Hartford rose 45.9% while median household income rose 27.9% ($36,278 to $46,411). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Hartford is 52.6% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($46,411) is $1,160 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a studio ($1,035); a 1-bedroom is $1,193.
The priciest of 4 ZIP codes in Hartford, 06120 ($1,769/mo), costs 23% more than the cheapest, 06105 ($1,434/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Hartford. 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
Hartford, CT is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 19.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Hartford, CT has changed in 5 years
Rent in Hartford, CT has increased 42.5% since 2021, going from about $1,091 per month to roughly $1,555 today. Household income in the area moved from $37,477 to $46,411 across the same window, up 23.8% versus 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 18.7 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 16.7% to 19.4%. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Hartford, CT look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
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Can you afford rent in Hartford on your salary?
At $1,555/mo, how Hartford rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Hartford rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Hartford. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Hartford
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Hartford is $1,555/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,035/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,508/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,193/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,818/mo.
At 40% of local median household income ($46,411/yr), Hartford ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Hartford rent compare to other cities in Connecticut?
At $1,555/mo, rent takes ~40% of Hartford's median household income ($46,411/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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