How much did a month's rent (US median) cost?
A month's rent (US median) cost $108 in 1970 and $1,487 in 2024: about 14 times as much.
Over the same years, prices in general (US inflation, measured by the consumer price index, CPI) rose about 8.1 times. That makes $108 in 1970 worth about $873 in 2024 money. So it got more expensive even after inflation: about 70% more, in real terms, than in 1970.
The biggest change between two listed years came between 2000 and 2024, when it went up 147%, from $602 to $1,487.
Rent: price by year
| Year | Price | In 2024 dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | $108 | $873 |
| 1980 | $243 | $925 |
| 1990 | $447 | $1,070 |
| 2000 | $602 | $1,100 |
| 2024 | $1,487 | $1,490 |
"In 2024 dollars" adjusts each amount for inflation with the CPI, so the years can be compared fairly. How this works.
Where the numbers come from
From the US Census Bureau's official figures for that year.
Source: US Census Bureau, Historical Census of Housing Tables: Gross Rents (1970-2000) and 2024 American Community Survey 1-year. View the source.
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