Lifestyle • Luxury Apartments • Moving Resources

Looking to Upgrade? Here’s How Much It Costs to Rent a High-End Apartment Around the Country

May 4, 2018
8 Min Read
high-end apartments

It seems that all the nice neighborhoods are stacked up with high-end apartment buildings on every block. They look expensive, with their shimmering pools, 24-hour fitness and wellness centers, and on-site theatre rooms and cafés. Could you possibly afford to live there? With many amenities included in the price of rent, like the use of the fitness center, sports courts, yoga classes, the pool, movies, dinner parties and even free coffee, you might just decide to reassess your monthly rental budget.

The national average rent in a high-end building is around $1,640 per month, about $490 more than an apartment in a low-end building. However, these broad-based averages do not mean much, as prices can vary by thousands of dollars from one city to another. Here’s how much it costs to rent a high-end apartment in the 30 largest cities:

Average Rent in High-End Apartments in 30 Largest U.S. Cities

Besides location, the apartment size is another important variable. For the same price as a luxury studio in San Francisco, you can rent a luxury 3-bedroom apartment in San Diego. In 12 cities you can rent a luxury studio for under $1,200 per month, and in 11 cities $1,500 gets you a high-end two-bedroom.

Take a look at what it costs to rent a high-end apartment from El Paso, Texas to New York City or jump to the city table below to check prices by apartment size:

1. El Paso, TX

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $976
  • Price range: $852 (1-bed) to $1,194 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: -1.3%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $291

RentCafe Apartments for Rent in El Paso TX

2. Oklahoma City, OK

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,024
  • Price range: $872 (studio) to $1,295 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: -0.9%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $368

3. Las Vegas, NV

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,102
  • Price range: $838 (studio) to $1,322 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +18.4%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $284

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4. Louisville, KY

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,123
  • Price range: $832 (studio) to $1,500 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +4.9%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $312

5. Memphis, TN

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,134
  • Price range: $988 (studio) to $1,476 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +8.8%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $486

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6. Phoenix, AZ

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,154
  • Price range: $999 (studio) to $1,378 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +16.3%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $351

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7. Jacksonville, FL

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,173
  • Price range: $1,010 (studio) to $1,434 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +12.9%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $347

RentCafe Apartments for Rent in Jacksonville FL

8. San Antonio, TX

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,176
  • Price range: $1,029 (studio) to $1,537 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +5.4%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $351

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9. Indianapolis, IN

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,191
  • Price range: $1,137 (studio) to $1,394 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +11.3%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $453

10. Charlotte, NC

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,247
  • Price range: $1,157 (studio) to $1,455 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +11.0%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $347

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11. Columbus, OH

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,319
  • Price range: $992 (studio) to $2,047 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +10.0%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $528

12. Dallas, TX

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,428
  • Price range: $1,165 (studio) to $2,049 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +7.4%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $524

13. Austin, TX

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,432
  • Price range: $1,247 (studio) to $1,891 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +6.7%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $371

14. Houston, TX

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,448
  • Price range: $1,229 (studio) to $1,848 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +1.8%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $608

high-end rentals in Houston

15. Nashville, TN

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,513
  • Price range: $1,410 (studio) to $1,745 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +14.1%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $502

16. Detroit, MI

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,652
  • Price range: $1,061 (studio) to $1,878 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +21.7%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $769

17. Portland, OR

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,691
  • Price range: $1,378 (studio) to $1,950 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +9.0%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $484

18. Baltimore, MD

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,742
  • Price range: $1,384 (studio) to $2,123 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +0.4%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $680

19. Denver, CO

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $1,756
  • Price range: $1,399 (studio) to $2,439 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +8.4%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $499

20. Philadelphia, PA

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $2,197
  • Price range: $1,623 (studio) to $3,677 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +8.2%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $925

21. Seattle, WA

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $2,261
  • Price range: $1,723 (studio) to $3,595 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +13.2%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $644

high-end Apartments for Rent in Seattle WA

22. San Diego, CA

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $2,376
  • Price range: $1,847 (studio) to $3,105 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +14.8%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $704

23. Chicago, IL

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $2,465
  • Price range: $1,747 (studio) to $4,905 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +4.8%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $1,078

high-end rentals in Chicago
24. Washington, DC

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $2,591
  • Price range: $1,952 (studio) to $4,670 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +1.8%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $841

25. San Jose, CA

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $2,849
  • Price range: $2,262 (studio) to $3,716 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +8.7%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $637

26. Los Angeles, CA

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $3,028
  • Price range: $2,181 (studio) to $5,201 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +9.7%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $1,093

apartments for Rent in Los Angeles

27. Brooklyn, NYC

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $3,285
  • Price range: $2,630 (studio) to $5,728 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: N/A
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $1,352

28. Boston, MA

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $3,526
  • Price range: $2,579 (studio) to $5,630 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +5.3%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $1,048

29. San Francisco, CA

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $4,132
  • Price range: $3,157 (studio) to $6,812 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: +4.2%
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $1,125

30. Manhattan, NYC

  • Average rent in a high-end apartment: $4,416
  • Price range: $3,179 (studio) to $8,163 (3-bed)
  • Change in high-end rents in the last 3 years: N/A
  • Price difference compared to a low-end apartment: $1,035

RentCafe Apartments for Rent in Manhattan New York


Check the average rent in high-end apts by size in 30 cities

Use the drop-down boxes to select the number of bedrooms and the city you want to see. Add and delete bedrooms and cities to compare multiple selections at once.
BedroomsCityAverage Rent3-yr Price Change Rent Diff High-End vs Low-End
0Austin, TX$1,247 4.4%$379
1Austin, TX$1,242 8.4%$309
2Austin, TX$1,585 6.6%$403
3Austin, TX$1,891 7.8%$251
ALLAustin, TX$1,432 6.7%$371
0Baltimore, MD$1,384 -5.6%$513
1Baltimore, MD$1,616 -1.9%$661
2Baltimore, MD$1,870 0.5%$776
3Baltimore, MD$2,123 9.9%$825
ALLBaltimore, MD$1,742 0.4%$680
0Boston, MA$2,579 5.0%$634
1Boston, MA$3,245 5.4%$936
2Boston, MA$4,197 7.0%$1,589
3Boston, MA$5,630 13.5%$1,817
ALLBoston, MA$3,526 5.3%$1,048
0Brooklyn, NYC$2,630 -$1,110
1Brooklyn, NYC$3,165 -$1,322
2Brooklyn, NYC$3,868 -$1,500
3Brooklyn, NYC$5,728 -$2,196
ALLBrooklyn, NYC$3,285 -$1,352
0Charlotte, NC$1,157 8.6%$401
1Charlotte, NC$1,116 12.8%$338
2Charlotte, NC$1,305 12.4%$380
3Charlotte, NC$1,455 10.4%$389
ALLCharlotte, NC$1,247 11.0%$347
0Chicago, IL$1,747 4.9%$657
1Chicago, IL$2,259 4.2%$895
2Chicago, IL$3,170 5.6%$1,432
3Chicago, IL$4,905 12.2%$2,932
ALLChicago, IL$2,465 4.8%$1,078
0Columbus, OH$9922.5%$423
1Columbus, OH$1,147 10.5%$459
2Columbus, OH$1,412 5.9%$585
3Columbus, OH$2,047 9.5%$1,043
ALLColumbus, OH$1,319 10.0%$528
0Dallas, TX$1,165 6.5%$423
1Dallas, TX$1,265 9.3%$442
2Dallas, TX$1,695 7.5%$682
3Dallas, TX$2,049 5.6%$932
ALLDallas, TX$1,428 7.4%$524
0Denver, CO$1,399 6.0%$368
1Denver, CO$1,599 10.3%$478
2Denver, CO$2,024 10.0%$626
3Denver, CO$2,439 14.2%$794
ALLDenver, CO$1,756 8.4%$499
0Detroit, MI$1,061 17.1%$330
1Detroit, MI$1,454 28.6%$660
2Detroit, MI$1,950 17.2%$943
3Detroit, MI$1,878 41.6%$360
ALLDetroit, MI$1,652 21.7%$769
1El Paso, TX$8522.2%$227
2El Paso, TX$1,021 -2.6%$299
3El Paso, TX$1,194 -3.8%$321
ALLEl Paso, TX$976-1.3%$291
0Houston, TX$1,229 -6.0%$593
1Houston, TX$1,278 1.3%$536
2Houston, TX$1,647 2.6%$708
3Houston, TX$1,848 4.3%$698
ALLHouston, TX$1,448 1.8%$608
0Indianapolis, IN$1,137 13.2%$565
1Indianapolis, IN$1,056 9.8%$397
2Indianapolis, IN$1,233 11.3%$458
3Indianapolis, IN$1,394 8.1%$476
ALLIndianapolis, IN$1,191 11.3%$453
0Jacksonville, FL$1,010 9.9%$430
1Jacksonville, FL$1,029 14.8%$301
2Jacksonville, FL$1,230 12.2%$366
3Jacksonville, FL$1,434 12.5%$414
ALLJacksonville, FL$1,173 12.9%$347
0Las Vegas, NV$83819.9%$218
1Las Vegas, NV$97019.9%$216
2Las Vegas, NV$1,145 18.8%$260
3Las Vegas, NV$1,322 18.2%$315
ALLLas Vegas, NV$1,102 18.4%$284
0Los Angeles, CA$2,181 7.4%$700
1Los Angeles, CA$2,602 8.4%$761
2Los Angeles, CA$3,773 15.0%$1,307
3Los Angeles, CA$5,201 7.3%$1,932
ALLLos Angeles, CA$3,028 9.7%$1,093
0Louisville, KY$8322.1%$188
1Louisville, KY$9479.6%$223
2Louisville, KY$1,127 4.1%$308
3Louisville, KY$1,500 4.0%$398
ALLLouisville, KY$1,123 4.9%$312
0Manhattan, NYC$3,179 -$595
1Manhattan, NYC$4,000 -$732
2Manhattan, NYC$5,911 -$1,429
3Manhattan, NYC$8,163 -$2,077
ALLManhattan, NYC$4,416 -$1,035
0Memphis, TN$988-$409
1Memphis, TN$9779.3%$377
2Memphis, TN$1,202 11.8%$548
3Memphis, TN$1,476 6.6%$718
ALLMemphis, TN$1,134 8.8%$486
0Nashville, TN$1,410 13.3%$630
1Nashville, TN$1,390 13.4%$488
2Nashville, TN$1,678 17.5%$614
3Nashville, TN$1,745 17.9%$468
ALLNashville, TN$1,513 14.1%$502
0Oklahoma City, OK$872-$321
1Oklahoma City, OK$9261.6%$334
2Oklahoma City, OK$1,102 -2.7%$395
3Oklahoma City, OK$1,295 -1.1%$450
ALLOklahoma City, OK$1,024 -0.9%$368
0Philadelphia, PA$1,623 16.8%$587
1Philadelphia, PA$1,956 7.3%$835
2Philadelphia, PA$2,582 11.1%$1,213
3Philadelphia, PA$3,677 10.5%$1,448
ALLPhiladelphia, PA$2,197 8.2%$925
0Phoenix, AZ$99921.2%$347
1Phoenix, AZ$1,053 18.6%$294
2Phoenix, AZ$1,212 17.1%$328
3Phoenix, AZ$1,378 16.7%$268
ALLPhoenix, AZ$1,154 16.3%$351
0Portland, OR$1,378 2.2%$381
1Portland, OR$1,583 8.0%$445
2Portland, OR$1,921 16.5%$632
3Portland, OR$1,950 18.5%$494
ALLPortland, OR$1,691 9.0%$484
0San Antonio, TX$1,029 11.2%$410
1San Antonio, TX$1,007 7.0%$289
2San Antonio, TX$1,275 5.8%$351
3San Antonio, TX$1,537 2.1%$410
ALLSan Antonio, TX$1,176 5.4%$351
0San Diego, CA$1,847 13.0%$534
1San Diego, CA$2,081 15.8%$566
2San Diego, CA$2,500 14.7%$647
3San Diego, CA$3,105 20.3%$964
ALLSan Diego, CA$2,376 14.8%$704
0San Francisco, CA$3,157 5.2%$908
1San Francisco, CA$3,709 4.1%$767
2San Francisco, CA$4,899 5.0%$1,069
3San Francisco, CA$6,812 -2.9%$2,639
ALLSan Francisco, CA$4,132 4.2%$1,125
0San Jose, CA$2,262 9.8%$567
1San Jose, CA$2,536 8.5%$511
2San Jose, CA$3,090 11.1%$660
3San Jose, CA$3,716 8.4%$830
ALLSan Jose, CA$2,849 8.7%$637
0Seattle, WA$1,723 12.4%$440
1Seattle, WA$2,146 14.3%$516
2Seattle, WA$2,884 15.0%$937
3Seattle, WA$3,595 21.6%$1,211
ALLSeattle, WA$2,261 13.2%$644
0Washington, DC$1,952 1.7%$393
1Washington, DC$2,337 1.1%$629
2Washington, DC$3,307 3.0%$1,294
3Washington, DC$4,670 9.8%$2,736
ALLWashington, DC$2,591 1.8%$841

Methodology:

This report was prepared by RENTCafé, a nationwide apartment search website that enables renters to easily find apartments and houses for rent throughout the United States. By working with the top property management companies in the country, RENTCafé’s search tool delivers a comprehensive list of available rental properties and detailed information on prices, amenities, and availability.

The rent data used in this report was provided by Yardi Matrix, a business development and asset management tool for brokers, sponsors, banks and equity sources underwriting investments in the multifamily, office, industrial and self-storage sectors. Rental rate coverage is for Market Rate large-scale multi-family properties of 50 units or more. Fully-Affordable properties are not included in the Yardi Matrix rental surveys and are not reported in rental rate averages. Rent rates are current as of March 2018. 

Property ratings are based on Yardi Matrix’s definition and classification of the apartment market by rental household segments. High-end or luxury rental properties are those that fall into the discretionary (Class A+/A) and high mid-range (Class A-/B+) class categories. Low-end properties are those properties rated Class B and below. 

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About the author

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Nadia Balint

Nadia Balint is a senior creative writer for RENTCafé. She covers news and trends in residential and commercial real estate and their impact on our everyday life, including rental housing, for-sale housing, real estate development, homeownership, market reports, insurance, landlord-tenant laws, personal finance, urban development, economy, sustainability, and social issues. Nadia holds a B.S. in Business Management from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. You can connect with Nadia via email.

Nadia’s work and expertise have been quoted by major national and local media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, CBS News, Curbed, The NY Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Denver Post as well as industry publications, such as GlobeSt, Bisnow, Inman News, Multifamily Executive, and The Commercial Real Estate Show. Nadia also wrote for Multi-Housing News, Commercial Property Executive, HubSpot, and more. Prior to entering the real estate industry, Nadia worked in the legal field, where she gained over 10 years of experience in business, corporate, and real estate law.

4 Comments

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  • Yardi Matrix must be behind the times… Looking at what they consider to be high-end i’m not sure most would agree. I priced out 6 high-end locations in Seattle last month (traveled there to view each unit in person) for a “middle of the road” 2br unit and the prices stayed roughly around 2900-3800, and the $3800 unit was only priced that low because of a 2 month rent-free concession that when spread across 12 months reduced the rent to 3800 (The real price was around $4100). When looking in Austin the prices were much better, but much higher than what Yardi reported. It was from $2300-3200 for a 2br.

    The difference is likely that I was looking at high-rise complexes

    Reply

    • The average prices in this article include studios to 3-bedroom apartments in large buildings of 50 or more units which have a rating of B+ or above. Prices are current as of March 2018.

      Reply

      • Statistics can serve useful comparisons. Sometimes the can be misleading or not represent the final price.
        Currently looking for a place in Boston. Rate as you want but consider this:
        Some places require and list using brokers (one months rent fee).
        Parking spot is extra (if it is available).
        Rents vary based on availability (large number of universities). Low availability in July and August tons available in September.
        50 unit complex is common in Houston, not in Boston. Distance from central business and population density is dramatically different.
        When looking for a place, the final price is much higher than the list price, it is a teaser in Boston.

        Reply