Bedroom count
Property type
Last updated on September 26, 2026
Average rent in
Washington, DC
Average rent in
Last updated on September 26, 2026
Bedroom count
Property type
Key takeaways for renters
The bottom line
Washington, DC rent is essentially flat year over year, with a current median of $2,484/month. Renters are paying about $25 less per month on average than last year, consistent with recent peaks and troughs.
Compared to national trends
Washington, DC rents run 30.7% more expensive than the $1,900/month national median, placing it among pricier coastal metros with 2,571 total rentals available.
Price ranges
Studios in Washington, DC rent for about $1,892/month, 1-bedrooms for $2,200/month, and 2-bedrooms for $2,857/month, with 4+ bedrooms reaching $4,955/month. This range reflects the diversity of bedroom options available to renters.
Neighborhood spotlight
Glover Archibold Park rents fell 84.4% year over year to $2,295/month across 19 rentals, a stark contrast to the broadly flat citywide market. Spring Valley also saw a decline of 56.2% to $3,725/month, showing localized shifts within Washington, DC.
Median rent
Median rent in Washington
$2,484/mo
1%vs previous year
The average rent in Washington is $2,484 per month as of September 2026. This is 31% above the national average rent, or $584 more per month.
average price per square foot
Total rentals
Available rentals in Washington
2,571
for rent on Zumper.com as of September 2026
Rent price distribution
Share of Washington rentals at each price point
Rent trends in Washington, DC
Average rent prices in Washington have remained the same over the last month and have decreased by 1% since last year.
Rent trends
Rent prices on this page are calculated on a rolling 30-day basis and updated daily.
Compare rent prices in
Washington, DC
Rent prices in Washington vary by bedroom size, rental type, and neighborhood. The average rent for an apartment in Washington is $2,317, whereas a house costs $3,400. 1-bedroom apartments in Washington run $2,230 on average, while 2-bedroom apartments are $2,850.
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Studio | $1,892 |  1% | 2% | |
1 bedroom | $2,200 | No Change | 3% | |
2 bedroom | $2,857 | 2% | 5% | |
3 bedroom | $3,750 | 1% | 1% | |
4 bedroom | $4,955 | 4% | 9% |
Listings | ||
|---|---|---|
Anacostia | $2,060 | |
Capitol Hill | $2,400 | |
Cathedral Wesley Heights Mclean Gardens | $2,744 | |
Columbia Heights | $2,500 | |
Congress Heights | $1,597 | |
Dupont Circle | $2,500 | |
Foggy Bottom Gwu West End | $2,612 | |
Logan Circle Shaw | $2,800 | |
Sw Ballpark Navy Yard | $2,444 | |
Trinidad Langston | $2,300 |
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apartments | $2,317 | No Change | No Change | |
Condos | $2,500 | 1% | No Change | |
Houses | $3,400 | 1% | No Change | |
Rooms | $1,180 | 7% | No Change |
Studio
Average rent
$1,892
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
2%
1 bedroom
Average rent
$2,200
Last 30 days
No Change
Last year
3%
2 bedroom
Average rent
$2,857
Last 30 days
2%
Last year
5%
3 bedroom
Average rent
$3,750
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
1%
4 bedroom
Average rent
$4,955
Last 30 days
4%
Last year
9%
Logan Circle Shaw
Average rent
$2,800
Columbia Heights
Average rent
$2,500
Trinidad Langston
Average rent
$2,300
Cathedral Wesley Heights Mclean Gardens
Average rent
$2,744
Sw Ballpark Navy Yard
Average rent
$2,444
Capitol Hill
Average rent
$2,400
Dupont Circle
Average rent
$2,500
Congress Heights
Average rent
$1,597
Foggy Bottom Gwu West End
Average rent
$2,612
Anacostia
Average rent
$2,060
Apartments
Average rent
$2,317
Last 30 days
No Change
Condos
Average rent
$2,500
Last 30 days
1%
Houses
Average rent
$3,400
Last 30 days
1%
Rooms
Average rent
$1,180
Last 30 days
7%
The table above reflects average rent prices in Washington, DC, broken down by the number of bedrooms, neighborhoods, and property types. The availability of data for each category is dependent on market inventory and will adjust depending on your selected filters.
How does rent in Washington, DC compare to other cities?
Compare median rent prices in Washington and Alexandria by all bedroom counts and property types.
Washington
31%higher than the national median
32%higher than the national median
Takeaway
The median rent for all rentals in Washington, DC is 1% lower than the median rent in Alexandria, VA.
Average rent in nearby cities
Explore rent trends in neighboring markets
$2,500
4%$2,698
6%$3,814
8%$3,650
10%$1,700
7%$3,250
17%$2,285
3%$2,100
1%$2,100
1%$1,743
3%$1,685
$1,925
18%Cost of living in Washington, DC
Explore the cost of essential expenses, and then use our rent calculator to find out how much rent you can afford.
Expenses accrued by most renters | Average cost compared to national average |
|---|---|
| Goods & Services | 13% higher |
| Groceries | 7% higher |
| Health | 20% higher |
| Housing | 98% higher |
| Transportation | 5% higher |
| Utilities | 6% higher |
Discover rentals in Washington, DC
5d+ ago
Fort Dupont apartment for rent in Washington
3507 Minnesota Ave Se, Washington, DC 20019
1 bed
1 bath
$845
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
Columbia Heights house for rent in Washington
1450 Newton St Nw #4, Washington, DC 20010
1 bed
1.5 baths
$850
House for rent
Available Jan 7
5d+ ago
Logan Circle - Shaw townhouse for rent in Washington
613 P St Nw #A, Washington, DC 20001
1 bed
1 bath
$900
House for rent
Available Dec 1
5d+ ago
LeDroit Park - Bloomingdale house for rent in Washington
2120 N Capitol St Nw, Washington, DC 20002
1 bed
1 bath
$945
$900
Price drop
House for rent
Available Aug 11
5d+ ago
Kalorama townhouse for rent in Washington
2137 R St Nw, Washington, DC 20008
5 beds
5 baths
$25,500
House for rent
1d ago
Verified
1425 P St Nw, Washington, DC 20005
Studio–4 beds
1–4 baths
$1,610–$23,023
House for rent
1d ago
Verified
1020 16th St Nw, Washington, DC 20036
Studio–4 beds
1–4 baths
$3,812–$23,023
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
Foggy Bottom - GWU - West End townhouse for rent in Washington
2507 I St Nw, Washington, DC 20037
4 beds
4 baths
$15,000
House for rent
2d ago
Verified
3636 16th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20010
Studio–1 bed
1 bath
$1,475–$2,132
Apartment for rent
Available Aug 27
1d ago
Verified
1425 P St Nw, Washington, DC 20005
Studio–4 beds
1–4 baths
$1,610–$23,023
House for rent
9h ago
Verified
1701 H St Ne, Washington, DC 20002
Studio–2 beds
1–2 baths
$1,536–$4,170
Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
2800 Quebec St Nw, Washington, DC 20008
Studio–2 beds
1–2 baths
$1,478–$3,492
Price drop
Apartment for rent
9h ago
Verified
1701 H St Ne, Washington, DC 20002
Studio–2 beds
1–2 baths
$1,536–$4,170
Apartment for rent
3d ago
Verified
3339 Mount Pleasant St Nw, Washington, DC 20010
Studio–1 bed
1 bath
$1,607–$3,293
Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
601 Edgewood St Ne, Washington, DC 20017
Studio–4 beds
1–2 baths
$1,248–$3,825
Price drop
Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
1341 Howard Rd Se, Washington, DC 20020
2 beds
1 bath
$1,378–$1,532
Apartment for rent
14h ago
Verified
1510 Butler St Se, Washington, DC 20020
1–3 beds
1 bath
$1,317–$1,667
Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
601 Edgewood St Ne, Washington, DC 20017
Studio–4 beds
1–2 baths
$1,248–$3,825
Price drop
Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
1341 Howard Rd Se, Washington, DC 20020
2 beds
1 bath
$1,378–$1,532
Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
2607 Bowen Rd Se, Washington, DC 20020
1–2 beds
1 bath
$1,740–$2,321
Apartment for rent
Stay up to date with rental market insights
Are you interested in licensing our current and historical rental real estate data, or do you have custom data requests? Contact datalicensing@zumper.com.
Frequently asked questions for Washington, DC
Quick answers to common questions about the Washington rental market.
How much is rent in Washington?
The average rent in Washington is $2,484 per month as of September 19, 2026.
Is rent up or down in Washington?
Average rent prices in Washington have remained the same over the last month and have decreased by 1% since last year.
How does Washington rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Washington is 31% above the national average, which means renters are paying approximately $584 more per month.
Which neighborhoods are most affordable in Washington?
The most affordable neighborhoods in Washington are Congress Heights ($1,597/mo), Anacostia ($2,060/mo), and Trinidad Langston ($2,300/mo).
What salary do I need to afford rent in Washington?
To comfortably afford rent in Washington, you'd need to earn approximately $99,000/year, based on spending no more than 30% of your income on rent.
When is the best time of year to rent in Washington?
February offers the best rental deals in Washington with the lowest rents of the year, while August sees peak pricing with roughly a 5.5% difference between the two months.
Methodology
Rent prices are based on Zumper's rental listings from the past 30 days. Median rent is calculated across all available listings and property types on the platform. If you filter the page by bedroom count or property type, the pricing throughout the page will update automatically to reflect that segment of the rental market.
Household and population data come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Cost-of-living data is sourced from the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index (COLI).
For additional insights into rental trends, including month-over-month changes and historical comparisons, see Zumper's Monthly Metro Report.
Washington D.C. Metro Report
The Zumper Washington, DC Metro Report analyzed active listings last month across metro cities to provide insights into the most and least expensive cities, as well as cities with the fastest growing rents. The Maryland one bedroom median rent was $2,001 last month.
The Most Expensive
- Arlington ranked as the most expensive city with one-bedrooms priced at $2,390.
- Alexandria was second with rent at $2,290.
- Washington placed third with rent at $2,220.
The Least Expensive
- Hagerstown was the most affordable city with one-bedrooms priced at $1,020.
- Winchester ranked as the second least expensive with rent at $1,360.
- Laurel placed third with rent at $1,680.
The Largest Decline (Y/Y%)
- Frederick had the largest annual rent price decline, falling 6.5%.
- Silver Spring saw rent drop 4.7%, making it second.
- Washington placed third with rent decreasing 3.5%.
The Largest Decline (M/M%)
- Silver Spring had the largest monthly rent price decline, falling 2.7%.
- Washington was second with rent dropping 2.2%.
- Arlington placed third with rent decreasing 1.6%.
About
The Zumper Washington D.C. Metro Area Report analyzed active listings that hit the market last month. Listings are aggregated by city to calculate median asking rents.
Words by
Crystal ChenCrystal Chen is a seasoned real estate and housing market expert with more than a decade of experience analyzing rental trends, housing affordability, and urban living. At Zumper, she leads data storytelling as well as press and media relations, where she translates complex housing research into easily digestible insights for renters, industry professionals, and journalists. Her reports can be seen cited in national outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC. She is passionate about helping renters navigate today’s evolving housing landscape with clarity and confidence. Living in New York City herself, she knows firsthand the chaos and challenges of navigating a competitive rental market.