Rent for one-bedroom apartments in this Bay Area city jumped 18% in the last year, data shows
Sizing up the Bay Area Housing Market
Sizing up the Bay Area Housing Market, with Tracey Esling, President of the Bay East Association of REALTORS.
SAN FRANCISCO - New data from housing database Zumper shows a staggering spike in rental prices for one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in one of the Bay Area's largest cities.
The company released its national rent report Tuesday, showing rent prices for one-bedroom apartments in San Francisco increased more than 18% in the last year.
The outlook for two-bedroom apartments is even worse – rising nearly 23% in just one year.
San Francisco had the highest year-over-year rent growth across the U.S., with an average one-bedroom apartment renting for $3,790 and a two-bedroom apartment renting for $5,270.
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San Francisco sees nation's biggest rent spike in one year
By the numbers:
While the city ranks no. 2 on the list of priciest rental cities in the U.S., San Francisco saw the most significant change in monthly rent over the course of one year.
Zumper points to artifical intelligence as a driver behind San Francisco's costly rent prices.
"This surge reflects a rapid rebound in demand, driven in part by the city’s resurgent tech sector, particularly AI-related hiring, and a broader return-to-office push that is pulling higher-income renters back to urban centers," the company's rent report said.
Graph showing the rise in average rent costs for one-bedroom apartments in San Francisco from 2016 to 2026. (Zumper National Rent Report)
What about San Jose?
On the other side of the Bay Area, San Jose is seeing the opposite effect, with rent costs decreasing over the last year.
The average cost for a one-bedroom apartment in San Jose is $2,660 – 3.6% lower than one year ago. Though the decrease sounds promising – the city has seen a 6% increase in just the last month, Zumper data shows.
Rent costs for two-bedroom apartments in San Jose are about a half-percent lower than this time last year, Zumper reports.
Around the U.S.
Meanwhile, in Southern California, Los Angeles is seeing a notable decline, with one-bedroom rental costs decreasing about 4% in the last year. For two-bedroom apartments, the year-over-year decrease is about 5%, the data shows.
Nationwide, rental prices remained nearly flat year-over-year, Zumper reported.
The average one-bedroom unit in the U.S. increased 0.2%, while two-bedrooms increased 0.1%.
New York remains the priciest metropolitan region for one-bedroom renters, with monthly rent costing $4,380 on average.
For a closer look at Zumper's findings, click here.
The Source: Zumper's National Rent Report released March 24, 2026.