Rents are 5% below what College Park'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 College Park'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
January. Asking rents in College Park usually run 1.5% below trend in January and 0.9% above it in April, about $51 a month apart at today's median. Based on 8 years of data.
Rent in College Park is 1.5% below its high of $2,158 in April 2026, at $2,125 as of September 2026.
Rent in College Park changed +0.8% 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 College Park rose 21.8% while median household income rose 4.6% ($66,679 to $69,721). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in College Park is 20.7% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($69,721) is $1,743 a month. That is less than HUD's Fair Market Rent for a studio ($2,160).
East Riverdale, 3 miles away, rents for 20% less ($1,696/mo), about $5,100 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for College Park. 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
College Park, MD is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, 52.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How College Park, MD has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in College Park, MD paid around $1,792 a month. That figure now sits near $2,125, up 18.6% from the 2021 baseline. On the earnings side, the typical household in College Park, MD now reports about $69,721, up from $69,736 in 2021. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show College Park, MD losing about 421 residents over the five-year window, down 1.2% on net. The renter share has risen from 58.6% to 66%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 48.8% to 52.7% across the same window. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and College Park, MD reflects that arc in its own way.
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At $2,125/mo, how College Park rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
College Park rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in College Park. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in College Park
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in College Park is $2,125/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,722/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,977/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,754/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,472/mo.
At 37% of local median household income ($69,721/yr), College Park ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than College Park?
At $2,125/mo, rent takes ~37% of College Park's median household income ($69,721/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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