Rents are 4% below what Bowie's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
Bedroom figures are derived from HUD Fair Market Rents and scaled to match Bowie's market median, because the published HUD values all ran above it. They are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Bowie usually run 1.2% below trend in December and 1.7% above it in September, about $73 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Bowie is 1% below its high of $2,526 in July 2026, at $2,501 as of September 2026.
Rent in Bowie changed +0.3% 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 Bowie rose 33.2% while median household income rose 25.3% ($113,338 to $141,995). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Bowie is 36.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has fallen 2 months in a row, and rose in 5 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($141,995) is $3,550 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,898); a 3-bedroom is $3,625.
The priciest of 4 ZIP codes in Bowie, 20720 ($3,374/mo), costs 39% more than the cheapest, 20721 ($2,431/mo).
Lanham Seabrook, 5 miles away, rents for 16% less ($2,107/mo), about $4,700 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Bowie. 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
Bowie, MD is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 50.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Bowie, MD has changed in 5 years
Rent in Bowie, MD has climbed 29.2% since 2021, going from about $1,936 per month to roughly $2,501 today. Census figures show median household income at $141,995 today, compared with $127,029 five years earlier. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 17.4 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. About 16.1% of households rent today, against 14.6% in 2021. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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At $2,501/mo, how Bowie rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Bowie rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Bowie. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Bowie
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Bowie is $2,501/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,022/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,327/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,068/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,911/mo.
At 21% of local median household income ($141,995/yr), Bowie ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Bowie?
At $2,501/mo, rent takes ~21% of Bowie's median household income ($141,995/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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