Rents Are Up In D.C. Again

The District is the sixth most expensive city in the U.S. for median rent rates.

According to The Washington Post the cost of renting has gone up again in the nation's capital and across the country in general. Recent data from ApartmentList.com shows a 1.4% rise nationwide and a 1.6% increase in the District of Columbia. The current rates in D.C. are notched at a median of $1,361 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,572 for a two-bedroom apartment. These numbers put Washington just behind San Francisco, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle.

Surprisingly, the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the District is lower than many nearby suburban cities. For example, the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Bowie, Md., was $2,500 in December. In Gainesville, Va., the median rent for a two-bedroom was $2,410. One reason is that the District has more apartments and a broader range of unit sizes and apartment amenities compared with suburban cities, which may have only a handful of luxury apartments.

Rents in many suburban cities that surround the District have also been increasing over the past year. In eight of the 10 largest cities, rents rose year-over-year. Rents rose the most in Frederick, Md. — by 6.5 percent to a median of $1,413 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,632 for a two-bedroom apartment.