Nearly All Metros Post Positive Rent Gains
- National SFR rent growth averaged 2.9% in 2025, with 98 of the 100 largest markets posting positive gains.
- Scranton, PA, led the nation at 6.5%.
- Rent growth momentum remained strongest in the Northeast and upper Midwest, with leading markets concentrated along the I-90 corridor.
National rent growth in the single-family rental (SFR) sector remained strong and consistent in 2025 as market-level pricing momentum was broad-based and robust, according to an analysis of newly released data from the Zillow Observed Rent Index. Year-end annual rent gains averaged 2.9%, down from 4.1% in 2024, marking the most modest increase since 2015. But even as the intensity of SFR rent growth abated last year, its reach was extensive, with 98 of the 100 largest markets posting year-over-year gains.
Top Metros for SFR Rent Growth in 2025
Pricing upticks in traditionally affordable markets were a major theme in 2025, mirroring patterns observed in 2024. Of the top 15 markets for SFR rent growth, 12 finished the year with an average monthly rental price below the national average (Chart 1).
Leading the country in average annual SFR rent growth in 2025 was Scranton, PA, which posted a 6.5% year-over-year gain. Scranton is about a 2.5-hour drive from both New York City and Philadelphia, making it a periphery landing spot for households in both markets seeking a balance between proximity and affordability. A recent influx of residents from higher-cost Northeastern markets combined with limited inventory has pushed prices higher across both for-sale listings and rentals.
Even after SFR price accelerations in 2025, the monthly rental price for single-family homes in Scranton averaged $1,461 at the end of the year — 33% below the national average for this property type.
Right behind Scranton in the rankings was Syracuse, NY (+6.3%), which has a very similar hyper-competitive local housing market dynamic. According to Redfin, the median for-sale home listing in Syracuse remained on the market for 27.5 days in December 2025, just under half the national median of 55.3 days. Following next were Cleveland, OH (+5.8%), Milwaukee, WI (+5.8%), Bridgeport, CT (+5.8%), and Providence, RI (+5.6%). Notably, all six of these top-performing metros cluster around the broader I-90 corridor, extending from the Great Lakes through upstate New York and into Southern New England (Chart 2).
The Bottom Line
While SFR rent growth remained positive in nearly all top 100 markets in 2025, it was clearly strongest in affordable Northeast and Upper Midwest metros where development pipelines have been less robust over the past decade. In these regions, elevated mortgage rates and limited for-sale inventory will continue to support demand for single-family rental homes throughout 2026.
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