City officials crow, dubiously, that they’ve figured out “the model” for bringing down sky-high rents and making SJ more affordable. Facts on the ground tell a different, more sobering story. Apartments.com’s national rent report reveals that:

Rental prices in SJ (end of June 2026) are now up 5.2%, year-over-year.
The overall median rent in SJ stands at $3,058, after rising 1.4% last month alone.
--Apartments.com

SJ’s already sky-high rents are increasing even faster than other big U.S. cities

The report says San Jose’s rent growth over the past year (5.2%) has outpaced:

Average CA state increase (1.1%), and
National decrease (1.2%).

Last year, (from January to June 2025) rents increased 4.2%, compared to 5.2% this year.

—Apartments.com

Your gut is right: Hardly any place is as expensive as SJ

San Jose is the #2 most expensive large city in the U.S., with a median rent of $3,058. Citywide, the median rent currently stands at $2,661 for a 1-bedroom apartment and $3,157 for a 2-bedroom. That ranks #2 in the nation, among the country's 100 largest cities.

The median rent across the nation as a whole is $1,217 for a 1-bedroom, $1,371 for a 2-bedroom, and $1,385 overall. The median rent in San Jose is 120.8% higher than the national, and is similar to the prices you would find in San Francisco, CA ($3,558) and Irvine, CA ($3,046).

—Apartments.com

SJ median rents up 5+% in first half of 2026

SJ’s already sky-high rents are increasing even faster than other big U.S. cities

Your gut is right: Hardly any place is as expensive as SJ

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SJ median rents up 5+% in first half of 2026

SJ’s already sky-high rents are increasing even faster than other big U.S. cities

Your gut is right: Hardly any place is as expensive as SJ

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