New York State Charges the Highest Rent for Studio Rentals in America

Finding it hard to afford rent in New York? You're not alone.

Rental prices have skyrocketed since the pandemic.

Rent Data found it cost an average of $556 a month to rent a studio apartment within the Utica-Rome area back in 2019.

By 2022, that number jumped to $676 and, today, those once $500 studio rentals are now cresting the $1,000 mark. As of 2025, it costs an average of $922 a month to rent an efficiency apartment.

The rent problem is not just a Utica problem - it's nationwide.

A new study from Cinch Home Services looked into rental data to determine the states that are the most hostile to single renters and ranked the Empire State #1 in the country.

This means it's more expensive to rent in New York than it is in other high-cost states like Hawaii and California, which respectively came in 2nd and 3rd place.

Cinch Home Services compared studio rental prices to average income and determined New York renters fork over 34% of their income to cover rent. Hawaii and California renters respectively surrender 33.83% and 30.98% of their hard-earned money.

As for how New York managed to snag the #1 spot, that is most likely due to the insane rental prices downstate.

Renting a studio apartment in the Nassau-Suffolk area costs an average of $1,240 a month while the NYC-area will charge tenants $1,559 a month for an efficiency apartment.

A rep for Cinch Home Service said this report should be seen as a warning sign for the economy's overall health.

The ranking for the worst states for single renters in studio apartments highlights the growing disparity between wages and housing costs in parts of the US. In these states, even the smallest supposedly most affordable units demand a significant portion of renters’ income, with some even exceeding 30% of their monthly earnings.

The rep also noted that more needs to be done to bring affordable living spaces to the hardest hit places to alleviate financial stress.

Additionally, the rep says this report proves wages have not kept up with the cost of living and that something needs to be done before more people fall behind.

While rental prices have surged, it seems every other life necessity also swelled in price. Have you seen the price of eggs recently? Insane!

Read More: Eggs Are More Expensive Than Ever in NY, Here's Why

The question now is will prices ever go down?

A report from The Week found rental prices nationwide surged roughly 34% since the pandemic, but anticipates prices remaining flat this year after years of hikes.

However, with surging interest rates to buy homes, experts aren't confident that rental prices will drop anytime soon due to increased demand and limited availability.

How much are you paying in rent and how much more are you paying now than you were when you first shook hands with your landlord?

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