Rents are 2% below what Washington'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 $2,484 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
January. Asking rents in Washington usually run 1% below trend in January and 1.1% above it in August, about $52 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Washington is 0.1% below its high of $2,487 in March 2025, at $2,484 as of September 2026.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Washington rose 13% while median household income rose 27.1% ($86,420 to $109,870). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Washington is 13.5% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 6 months in a row, and rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($109,870) is $2,747 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,467); a 3-bedroom is $3,086.
The priciest of 22 ZIP codes in Washington, 20004 ($2,781/mo), costs 1.8 times the cheapest, 20032 ($1,529/mo).
Chillum, MD, 4 miles away, rents for 28% less ($1,779/mo), about $8,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Washington. 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
Washington, DC is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 64.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Washington, DC has changed in 5 years
Rent in Washington, DC has increased 20.3% since 2021, going from about $2,065 per month to roughly $2,484 today. Median household income grew from $93,547 to $109,870 between 2021 and 2024, a 17.4% shift. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 61.4% to 64.2%. Taken together, the five-year picture in Washington, DC reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Washington on your salary?
At $2,484/mo, how Washington rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Washington rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Washington. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Washington
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Washington is $2,484/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,145/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,467/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,192/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,086/mo.
At 27% of local median household income ($109,870/yr), Washington ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Washington?
At $2,484/mo, rent takes ~27% of Washington's median household income ($109,870/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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