Washington apartment rents among nation’s 10 priciest heading into May: Report

Washington is one of the 10 most expensive major U.S. cities for renting a one-bedroom apartment heading into May, according to a new report from real estate listings site Zumper.

The median one-bedroom rent in Washington was $2,150 as of May 1, behind only six other cities—only two of which (Boston and New York) are on the East Coast. The median two-bedroom rent in D.C. was $2,850, behind four cities and the second most expensive on the East Coast.

Zumper’s report tracked vacant and available apartments, so it’s a pretty decent snapshot of the market. And that snapshot should surprise no one who has followed the Washington market in recent years, where tight supply, steady demand, and other factors combine to make for one rough go of it for tenants.

There is some good news for tenants in the latest figures. The median one-bedroom rent was down slightly year over year and essentially flat from April. And the two-bedroom median was down month over month and down relatively slightly from May 2018.