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On August 1, we reported that the price of renting a one-bedroom apartment in Denver went up by a higher percentage from month to month than in any other major city in the country.
In early September, that's no longer true. But the percentage increase of one-bedroom rent in Denver is greater on a year-to-year basis than in the U.S. of A.'s 25 priciest markets.
The data comes from Zumper, whose September rent report shows that since this time in 2017, the cost of one-bedroom rent in the Mile High City has ratcheted up 15.2 percent. The next closest markets among the top 25 are Long Beach, California, at 14.6 percent, and Nashville, Tennessee, at 14.3 percent.
Overall, Zumper's report analyzes rent trends in 100 American metro areas, and a deeper dive into the complete lists reveals several places where rent has gone up by more than 15.2 percent. However, the communities tend to be considerably smaller and/or deliver rents that are a lot less than Denver's median one-bedroom rate of $1,520.
For instance, Salt Lake City's one-bedroom rent is up 15.6 percent, but the median price is $1,040, good for 48th place nationwide. Other examples: Boise, Idaho (16.0 percent, $940, 55th place), Laredo, Texas (15.3 percent, $830, 68th place), Knoxville, Tennessee (15.5 percent, $820, a 72nd place tie with Norfolk, Virginia), Arlington, Texas (15.7 percent, $810, 74th place), Cincinnati, Ohio (15.9 percent, $800, a 75th place tie with Winston-Salem, North Carolina), St. Louis, Missouri (16.2 percent. $790, 78th place), Cleveland, Ohio (16.4 percent, $780, 79th place) and Tallahassee, Florida (15.9 percent, $730, 86th place).
If there's any good news for Denver renters in the Zumper numbers, it's that the one-bedroom rent increase from July to August, the most recent figures available, was 1.3 percent, less than a third of the 4.9 percent boost from June to July, which outpaced other major cities at the beginning of August. If that trend continues, locals may finally begin to experience some relief.
But such comfort is in short supply right now. Continue to count down the one-bedroom rents in the 25 largest markets as ranked by the percentage change since this time last year.
Number 1: Washington, D.C.
Median price for a one-bedroom: $2,160
Year-over-year percentage change: -5.3 percent
Number 2: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,470
Year-over-year percentage change: -5.2 percent
Number 3: Honolulu, Hawaii
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,730
Year-over-year percentage change: -0.6 percent
Number 4 (tie): Seattle, Washington
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,950
Year-over-year percentage change: 0.0 percent
Number 4 (tie): Miami, Florida
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,800
Year-over-year percentage change: 0.0 percent
Number 6 (tie): New York, New York
Median price for a one-bedroom: $2,870
Year-over-year percentage change: +0.7 percent
Number 6 (tie): Chicago, Illinois
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,520
Year-over-year percentage change: +0.7 percent
Number 6 (tie): Providence, Rhode Island
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,440
Year-over-year percentage change: +0.7 percent
Number 9: Portland, Oregon
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,400
Year-over-year percentage change: +3.7 percent
Number 10: Boston, Massachusetts
Median price for a one-bedroom: $2,310
Year-over-year percentage change: +5.0 percent
Number 11: San Francisco, California
Median price for a one-bedroom: $3,570
Year-over-year percentage change: +5.3 percent
Number 12: Oakland, California
Median price for a one-bedroom: $2,150
Year-over-year percentage change: +5.4 percent
Number 13: Anaheim, California
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,680
Year-over-year percentage change: +5.7 percent
Number 14: Santa Ana, California
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,830
Year-over-year percentage change: +6.4 percent
Number 15: Baltimore, Maryland
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,390
Year-over-year percentage change: +7.8 percent
Number 16: Los Angeles, California
Median price for a one-bedroom: $2,320
Year-over-year percentage change: +7.9 percent
Number 17: San Jose, California
Median price for a one-bedroom: $2,550
Year-over-year percentage change: +8.5 percent
Number 18: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,540
Year-over-year percentage change: +9.2 percent
Number 19: New Orleans, Louisiana
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,370
Year-over-year percentage change: +9.6 percent
Number 20: San Diego, California
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,810
Year-over-year percentage change: +9.7 percent
Number 21: Atlanta, Georgia
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,470
Year-over-year percentage change: +10.5 percent
Number 22: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,410
Year-over-year percentage change: +11.9 percent
Number 23: Nashville, Tennessee
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,360
Year-over-year percentage change: +14.3 percent
Number 24: Long Beach, California
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,570
Year-over-year percentage change: +14.6 percent
Number 25: Denver, Colorado
Median price for a one-bedroom: $1,520
Year-over-year percentage change: 15.2 percent
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