Rents are 6% below what Cincinnati's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
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 $1,432 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 Cincinnati usually run 0.6% below trend in February and 0.5% above it in July, about $16 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Cincinnati is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Cincinnati changed +2.8% over the year to September 2026. Across the 93 Ohio cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.3%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Cincinnati rose 38.6% while median household income rose 30.2% ($40,640 to $52,909). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Cincinnati is 41.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 9 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($52,909) is $1,323 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,283); a 3-bedroom is $1,702.
The priciest of 25 ZIP codes in Cincinnati, 45219 ($1,873/mo), costs 1.6 times the cheapest, 45238 ($1,159/mo).
Norwood, 2 miles away, rents for 12% less ($1,259/mo), about $2,100 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Cincinnati. 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
Cincinnati, OH is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 41.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Cincinnati, OH has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Cincinnati, OH has shifted from $1,064 to $1,432, up 34.6% since 2021. On the earnings side, the typical household in Cincinnati, OH now reports about $52,909, up from $45,235 in 2021. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 39.6% to 41.8% across the same window. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Cincinnati, OH reflects that arc in its own way.
Discussions about Cincinnati
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Can you afford rent in Cincinnati on your salary?
At $1,432/mo, how Cincinnati rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Cincinnati rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Cincinnati. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Cincinnati
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Cincinnati is $1,432/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $878/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,283/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $989/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,702/mo.
At 32% of local median household income ($52,909/yr), Cincinnati ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Cincinnati?
At $1,432/mo, rent takes ~32% of Cincinnati's median household income ($52,909/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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