The Rent Index: U.S. Typical Rent Hit $1,895 in 2026 — Up 41% From 2019
U.S. typical market rent per month (Zillow ZORI, all homes + multifamily, smoothed) — up 41% from 2019, with a peak in 2022 and a partial pullback since.
The Zillow ZORI typical U.S. rent in January 2026 was $1,895/month — still 41% above the $1,340 average in 2019, despite easing from the 2022 peak.
Then
2019
$1,340/mo
Now
2026
$1,895/mo
Change
2019–2026
+41%
↑ Rising
The Rent Index: 2015–2026
U.S. typical market rent (Zillow ZORI, all homes + multifamily, smoothed)
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), All Homes Plus Multifamilykeepingupwithinflation.com
Historical Datakeepingupwithinflation.com
| Year | Price | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $1,135 | — |
| 2016 | $1,210 | +6.6% |
| 2017 | $1,260 | +4.1% |
| 2018 | $1,310 | +4.0% |
| 2019 | $1,340 | +2.3% |
| 2020 | $1,380 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $1,580 | +14.5% |
| 2022 | $1,980 | +25.3% |
| 2023 | $2,010 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $1,950 | -3.0% |
| 2025 | $1,895 | -2.8% |
| 2026 | $1,895 | 0.0% |
Analysis
Rent has been one of the most punishing categories of inflation for the past decade. The Rent Index uses Zillow's Observed Rent Index (ZORI) — typical market rent for all homes plus multifamily, smoothed and representative of the U.S. rental stock. From about $1,340/month in 2019, ZORI surged to a peak above $2,040 in late 2022 (the largest run-up in years), then moderated as new supply and higher vacancy took pressure off. As of January 2026 the national figure is around $1,895 — still 41% above 2019.
The 2022 peak and subsequent pullback reflect the end of the pandemic-era rent spike; growth had slowed to under 2% year-over-year by early 2026. Even after the decline from the peak, rent remains well above pre-pandemic levels, and the BLS CPI measure of shelter has lagged the slowdown, so official inflation has stayed stickier than many market-rent indices.
Data: Zillow Research ZORI (Metro_zori_uc_sfrcondomfr_sm_month.csv, U.S. national). Updated monthly on the 16th; use annual or 12-month averages when refreshing this index.