Rents are 2% above what Baltimore's 10-year trend predicts — running hotter than its own history.
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 $1,806 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: August 17, 2026
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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 $437 per month, settling near $1,806 after starting the period at $1,369. Median household income grew from $54,124 to $62,177 between 2021 and 2024, a 14.9% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 17.0 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 $1,806/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: August 17, 2026
The median rent in Baltimore is $1,806/mo as of August 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 35% of local median household income ($62,177/yr), Baltimore ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 6.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
Is Baltimore an affordable city for renters?
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Is rent going up or down in Baltimore?
Which Baltimore neighborhoods have the lowest rent?
How does Baltimore rent compare to other cities in Maryland?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Baltimore?
What percentage of Baltimore residents rent vs. own?
How does Baltimore rent compare to the national average?
At $1,806/mo, rent takes ~35% of Baltimore's median household income ($62,177/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
How does this area stack up?
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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