← Price Inflation Report / Rent Tracker
Rent Tracker
The average asking rent in the United States is $1,910/month as of 2026-03. That is +1.8% compared to a year ago.
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · zillow.com/research
Current Avg Rent
$1,910/mo
as of 2026-03
Year-over-Year Change
+1.8%
Monthly ZORI index values for United States.
| Month | Avg Asking Rent | Change from Prior Month |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-03 | $1,910 | +0.53% |
| 2026-02 | $1,900 | +0.42% |
| 2026-01 | $1,892 | +0.05% |
| 2025-12 | $1,891 | -0.26% |
| 2025-11 | $1,896 | -0.26% |
| 2025-10 | $1,901 | -0.21% |
| 2025-09 | $1,905 | -0.05% |
| 2025-08 | $1,906 | +0.05% |
| 2025-07 | $1,905 | +0.21% |
| 2025-06 | $1,901 | +0.32% |
| 2025-05 | $1,895 | +0.48% |
| 2025-04 | $1,886 | +0.53% |
| 2025-03 | $1,876 | +0.64% |
| 2025-02 | $1,864 | +0.43% |
| 2025-01 | $1,856 | +0.22% |
| 2024-12 | $1,852 | -0.11% |
| 2024-11 | $1,854 | -0.22% |
| 2024-10 | $1,858 | -0.21% |
| 2024-09 | $1,862 | +0.00% |
| 2024-08 | $1,862 | +0.16% |
| 2024-07 | $1,859 | +0.43% |
| 2024-06 | $1,851 | +0.49% |
| 2024-05 | $1,842 | +0.60% |
| 2024-04 | $1,831 | — |
Shelter is the single largest component of the official CPI, accounting for roughly one-third of the index. But the BLS shelter index tends to lag real-market rent changes by 12–18 months because it measures rents paid by all tenants — including long-term renters locked into old leases. ZORI measures asking rents for new leases, making it a timelier signal of where CPI shelter inflation is headed.
When ZORI is rising sharply in your city, it is a leading indicator that official shelter inflation — and therefore overall CPI — will remain elevated in coming months.
Data: Zillow Research ZORI · Updated monthly · Price Inflation Report