U.S. single-family rents increased 2.0% year over year in August 2026, marking the sixth consecutive month of accelerating annual rent growth, according to Cotality's latest Single-Family Rent Index. The data suggests the rental market is gradually normalizing, with fewer metropolitan areas experiencing rent declines.
The Midwest continued to lead the country in rent growth. Chicago recorded the strongest increase among major metropolitan areas at 4.9%, followed by Philadelphia at 3.9%, New York-Jersey City at 3.7%, and Detroit at 3.3%. Meanwhile, rent growth remained modest in parts of the South, including Houston at 0.6%, Washington, D.C., at 0.9%, and Dallas at 1.2%.
Growth also varied by rental price tier. High-priced single-family rentals increased 2.8% annually, significantly outpacing lower-priced rentals, which rose just 0.8%. Detached rental homes posted 2.1% growth, compared with 1.9% for attached properties.
Only two metropolitan areas—Cape Coral-Fort Myers and North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida—recorded annual rent declines in August. This marked the lowest number of markets with falling rents since September 2023.
According to Cotality, single-family rent growth has returned to the lower end of its long-term range for the first time since August 2025. While the national market continues to stabilize, differences across regions and price tiers highlight the uneven pace of rental market recovery.
For single-family rental (SFR) investors and operators, the latest figures point to improving rent-growth conditions overall, although performance remains dependent on local market dynamics and property positioning.
Source: Cotality
