According to the Midland Reporter, the rents in the Midland, Texas area have swung from fastest growing to the deepest decline in the country in the past year. The data comes from RentCafe that documents 10% to 30% increases last March and more recently a 10.3% decrease, which is the largest in the nation during the month of February. Midland also was only one of nine cities across the nation showing year-over-year declines.

Midland’s average rent continues the decline that started last summer. The $1,452 average in February was down from $1,490 in January. The website also reports the average rent has dropped $81 a month since October and $155 since June, when rent for the average apartment reached $1,607.

Midland also gave up its No. 1 ranking across the state. The Woodlands, located outside Houston, now has the top average rent -- $1,468 -- according to RentCafe. Austin is the only other community with a monthly average of more than $1,400 -- $1,439.

In Odessa, the average rent dropped 7 percent to $1,284 a month. Midland and Odessa were the only two communities in the nation with rent drops of more than 1.6 percent, according to the report. Other averages from across West Texas include $972 in Lubbock, $790 in El Paso and $757 in Amarillo.

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