Rents are right about where Baltimore's 10-year trend predicts.
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 $1,762 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 Baltimore usually run 0.8% below trend in December and 0.8% above it in July, about $28 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Baltimore is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Baltimore changed +3.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 81 Maryland cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Baltimore rose 27.1% while median household income rose 23.4% ($50,379 to $62,177). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Baltimore is 35.1% 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 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($62,177) is $1,554 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($1,550); a 2-bedroom is $1,898.
The priciest of 20 ZIP codes in Baltimore, 21231 ($2,323/mo), costs 1.8 times the cheapest, 21215 ($1,312/mo).
Lochearn, 6 miles away, rents for 17% less ($1,470/mo), about $3,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Baltimore. 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
Baltimore, MD is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income below the national average, 36.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Baltimore, MD has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Baltimore, MD has climbed by $403 per month, settling near $1,762 after starting the period at $1,359. Median household income grew from $54,124 to $62,177 between 2021 and 2024, a 14.9% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 14.8 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 592,211 to 573,243 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.2% change. Taken together, the five-year picture in Baltimore, MD 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 Baltimore on your salary?
At $1,762/mo, how Baltimore rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Baltimore rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Baltimore. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Baltimore
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Baltimore is $1,762/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,357/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,898/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,550/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,453/mo.
At 34% of local median household income ($62,177/yr), Baltimore ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Baltimore?
At $1,762/mo, rent takes ~34% of Baltimore's median household income ($62,177/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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