Rents are right about where Rockville'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 $2,372 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 Rockville usually run 1.1% below trend in January and 1.3% above it in August, about $57 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Rockville is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Rockville 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 Rockville rose 19% while median household income rose 20.7% ($106,576 to $128,649). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Rockville is 21.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($128,649) is $3,216 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,640); a 3-bedroom is $3,303.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Rockville, 20851 ($2,558/mo), costs 11% more than the cheapest, 20852 ($2,295/mo).
Silver Spring, 7 miles away, rents for 17% less ($1,969/mo), about $4,800 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Rockville. 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
Rockville, MD is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income above the national average, 65.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Rockville, MD has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in Rockville, MD paid around $1,907 a month. That figure now sits near $2,372, up 24.4% from the 2021 baseline. Median household income climbed from $116,031 to $128,649 between 2021 and 2024, a 10.9% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. The renter share has risen from 44.8% to 47.4%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Taken together, the five-year picture in Rockville, 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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At $2,372/mo, how Rockville rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Rockville rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Rockville. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Rockville
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Rockville is $2,372/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,297/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,640/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,343/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,303/mo.
At 22% of local median household income ($128,649/yr), Rockville ranks as affordable 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 Rockville?
At $2,372/mo, rent takes ~22% of Rockville's median household income ($128,649/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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