Rents are right about where Syracuse'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 $1,566 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
February. Asking rents in Syracuse usually run 0.3% below trend in February and 0.7% above it in May, about $16 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Syracuse is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in May 2016.
Rent in Syracuse changed +3.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 82 New York cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +5.3%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Syracuse rose 45.2% while median household income rose 24.9% ($38,276 to $47,819). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Syracuse is 54% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 3 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($47,819) is $1,195 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($1,064); a 2-bedroom is $1,309.
The priciest of 7 ZIP codes in Syracuse, 13202 ($1,940/mo), costs 39% more than the cheapest, 13203 ($1,400/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Syracuse. 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
Syracuse, NY is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 31.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Syracuse, NY has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in Syracuse, NY paid around $1,112 a month. That figure now sits near $1,566, up 40.8% from the 2021 baseline. On the earnings side, the typical household in Syracuse, NY now reports about $47,819, up from $40,490 in 2021. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. The renter share has eased from 60.4% to 58.4%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 28.9% to 31.2% across the same window. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Syracuse, NY reflects that arc in its own way.
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Can you afford rent in Syracuse on your salary?
At $1,566/mo, how Syracuse rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Syracuse rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Syracuse. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Syracuse
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Syracuse is $1,566/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $954/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,309/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,064/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,601/mo.
At 39% of local median household income ($47,819/yr), Syracuse 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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At $1,566/mo, rent takes ~39% of Syracuse's median household income ($47,819/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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