**U.S. Apartment Rents Rose in December 2025, Breaking Five-Month Decline**
U.S. apartment rents saw a modest increase in December 2025, ending a five-month streak of stagnant or declining prices. According to data from CoStar Group’s Apartments.com, the national average rent rose slightly to $1,708, reflecting a 0.1% uptick from November’s revised figure of $1,707.
This slight monthly increase reversed a trend of flat or negative rent changes that had persisted since mid-2025. However, annual rent growth continued a slow downward trajectory, easing to 0.66% in December from 0.74% in November and down significantly from the 1.5% annual growth recorded at the beginning of 2025.
Three of the nation’s four major regions also posted positive monthly growth in December. The Midwest led with a 0.12% month-over-month increase, followed by the South at 0.07%, and the Northeast at 0.06%. The Western region, however, continued to see a decline in rents, falling 0.01%.
On a year-over-year basis, the Midwest remained the strongest performer with 2.2% growth, followed by the Northeast at 1.5%. In contrast, the South experienced a slight annual decrease in rents of 0.1%, while the West declined by 1.4%.
Market-level data showed notable improvements, with 25 of the top 50 metropolitan areas registering rent increases in December—up from just seven in November. San Francisco led rent growth with a 0.64% increase, trailed by Norfolk (0.53%) and Richmond (0.42%). San Francisco also topped annual performance, with rents rising 5.9% year-over-year.
Apartments.com analysts noted that markets experiencing the highest levels of new construction were also seeing the weakest rent performance. Conversely, more supply-constrained metros, particularly in the Midwest and parts of the Northeast and West Coast, continued to outperform. Additionally, falling employment and softening renter demand may be contributing to weaker rent growth in certain areas.
