Despite several years of really bad PR, especially in the national press, people remarkably still seem to want to live in San Francisco badly enough that they'll pay four grand a month for a one-bedroom apartment.

The latest rent survey by Zumper finds rents jumping 14.9% year over year, with the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco now over $500 more per month than it was in May 2025.  And a peak of $4,200 per month for the upper echelon of one-bedrooms was reportedly just hit this month.

Granted this is not a complete picture of what people are paying in rent across the city, as rentals in smaller and older building don't tend to be included in Zumper data — which is based primarily on published and documentable rents in newer, larger, multi-unit buildings.

The average rent for a studio apartment is now $2,500, according to the report, while a two-bedroom is averaging $5,397.

The highest rents in the city are currently found in SoMa and South Beach, with the latter neighborhood seeing an average rent of $4,800. The lowest rents were documented, predictably, in the Tenderloin ($1,800/mo), and there's a curiously low number that must be based on an odd or false data point in the Financial District, which shows an average of $970 per month.

Back in September, SFist noted how rents in SF were rising faster than anywhere else in the country, largely thanks to the booming AI industry. At the time, nine months ago, empty apartments were sitting on the market an average of 20 days, according to Apartment Lists data, which was down from an average of 47 days in January 2024.

As Zumper notes, San Francisco rents are about double the national average, with one-bedroom units around the country going for an average of $1,950 per month.

Another revivial of Apartment Sadness feels like it's just around the corner! Feel free to send tips to [email protected].

Previously: SF Rents Rising Rents Faster Than Anywhere In the Country, So Thanks a Lot, AI Industry

Top image: Photo by Chris Lawton