Rents Climbed at Most Washington D.C. Metro Stops This Year

Rental prices increased throughout major metropolitan areas this year like New York City and Boston. Renters throughout Washington D.C. witnessed similar increases along D.C. subway stops, as rents jumped up to 16% higher than they were last year.

Many D.C. renters rely on the Metrorail transit system to accommodate their commutes and day-to-day activities. Each year, RentHop reports shifts in rental prices along major D.C. subway stops. This year, we discovered that:

Key Findings

• The median rent for a two-bedroom increased 3.56% to $2,688.
• Rental prices increased across most stops city-wide, increasing year over year at 82 subway stops.
• Prices decreased at 11 subway stations; that’s 15 fewer drops than last year.
• Several Metro stops in Bethesda, like Bethesda and Grosvenor-Strathmore, watched rental prices increase at least 13% due to new developments like Solaire at 7607 Old Georgetown Road.
• The median rental price for two-bedroom apartments decreased at major D. C. subway stops like Union Station ($3,125, YoY -6.72%) and Dupont Circle ($3,745, YoY -2.73%).

D.C. Metro Median Rent Map, with YoY Price Fluctuations

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To calculate the median rent for the map above, we analyzed RentHop’s rental data for unfurnished two-bedroom apartments from May 1 through July 31, 2023, and April 1 through June 30, 2024, and WMATA GIS data for Metrorail stops from dc.gov.

To get accurate prices near the Metro stops, we looked first at non-duplicated listings within 0.5 miles (800 meters) of a metro stop and calculated the median if there were 20 unique data points. If not, the radius from the stop was increased, and the data were resampled to ensure enough unique listings were used when calculating the median.

Two-Bedroom Rents Increased Most at These Metro Stops

1. Anacostia (Green) – $2,088, YoY +15.97%
2. Bethesda (Red) – $3,379, YoY +13.66%
3. Potomac Yard (Blue, Yellow) – $3,265, YoY +13.57%
4. Medical Center (Red) – $3,000, YoY +13.21%
5. Grosvenor-Strathmore (Red) – $2,600, YoY +13.04%

These Are the Most Expensive Metro Stops, Based on Two-Bedroom Rents

1. Foggy Bottom-GWU (Blue, Orange, Silver) – $4,100, YoY +2.50%
2. Farragut West (Blue, Orange, Silver) – $3,925, YoY +1.95%
3. Federal Triangle (Blue, Orange, Silver) – $3,800, YoY +2.70%
4. Farragut North (Red) – $3,800, YoY +0%
5. McPherson Sq (Blue, Orange, Silver) – $3,800, YoY +0%

Two-Bedroom Rents Decreased Most at These Metro Stops

1. Union Station (Red) – $3,125, YoY -6.72%
2. NoMa-Gallaudet U (Red) – $2,915, YoY -5.97%
3. Congress Heights (Green) – $1,600, YoY -5,88%
4. Takoma (Red) – $2,373, YoY -3.20%
5. Reston Town Center (Silver) – $2,475, YoY -2.94%

These Are the Cheapest Metro Stops, Based on Two-Bedroom Rents

1. Congress Heights (Green) – $1,600, YoY -5,88%
2. Southern Avenue (Green) – $1,600, YoY -21.4%
3. Branch Ave (Green) – $1,650, YoY +0%
4. Landover (Orange) – $1,650, YoY +0%
5. Naylor Road (Green) – $1,650, YoY +0.46%

Rents Remain High for D.C. Renters

Washington D.C. renters still face an expensive market, where the median two-bedroom rent citywide increased 3.56% yearly to $2,688. Of the 98 D. C. subway stops covered in our report, 82 witnessed rental prices increase since last year, which is more increases than we reported last summer. While rent increases slowed down last year after the post-pandemic rush, they are now increasing again due to high interest and new construction.

Most renters will pay more than they would have last year for an apartment, but rents remained the same and decreased in some areas. The popular Union Station stop watched rents decrease 6.72% since last year to $3,125, the largest decrease of all the metro stops. Overall, rents decreased at 11 stations and remained the same at five stations.

New Developments Still Drive Up Rental Prices

New apartment complexes with modern finishes and pricey amenities contributed to rent increases along Metro stops like Grosvenor-Strathmore and Bethesda. The new development Ravel & Royale at 10511 Strathmore Hall Street charges higher rent prices, which drove the median up 13.04% to $2,600.

Another new development in the area, Solaire at 7607 Old Georgetown Road, drove up rental prices 13.66% to $3,379 at Bethesda. With several new developments in the town of Bethesda, Metro stations in the area watched the median rental prices jump more than 10% year over year.