These 8 Arizona cities had the biggest rent increases since last year

Looking to move? You might want to avoid these cities.

As Arizona legislators experiment with how to solve the Grand Canyon State’s housing issues, the rental market remains expensive for many tenants.

Still, rent prices haven’t increased evenly across the board, according to a study by the real estate company Zumper. Rents in some Arizona cities have shot up significantly in the past year, while housing costs in others, including Glendale, Phoenix and Tempe, actually managed to go down.

Zumper’s study compared how rental prices of one-bedroom apartments in Arizona’s metro cities have changed from January 2024 to now. These eight cities saw the fastest-rising rent increases over the last year.

8. Flagstaff

This northern Arizona city is infamous for its high rental costs due to the lack of available space to build housing. The draw of its beautiful landscape and the presence of Northern Arizona University means renters face a lot of competition from vacationers and students.

Rent increase: 2.4%
Median rent: $1,740
Rent rank statewide: Highest

7. Chandler

This sprawling suburban southeast Valley city is filled with single-family homes. However, its one-bedroom apartments — about 560 are available on Zillow — are expensive.

Rent increase: 3.4%
Median rent: $1,530
Rent rank statewide: Sixth-highest

6. Mesa

Housing options in Arizona’s third-largest city span from apartment complexes near the city’s downtown to sprawling single-family homes bordering the city’s eastern mountains. Still, across the city, rents are increasing.

Rent increase: 4.8%
Median rent: $1,310
Rent rank statewide: Ninth-highest

5. Peoria

This long and narrow West Valley city is home to nearly 200,000 people.

Rent increase: 5.2%
Median rent: $1,420
Rent rank statewide: Seventh-highest

4. Goodyear

This fast-growing city on the outskirts of the Valley has rents well above the state average.

Rent increase: 9%
Median rent: $1,570
Rent rank statewide: Fifth-highest

3. Casa Grande

The first Pinal County city on the list has a population of 57,000 people and some of the lowest rents of the metro cities on Zumper’s list. Still, rents have risen significantly in the last year.

Rent increase: 16%
Median rent: $1,160
Rent rank statewide: 13th-highest

2. Buckeye

Buckey is the second-largest Arizona city by square mileage, and its housing development ambitions have been hampered by state groundwater restrictions. Perhaps due to a lack of supply, rent for one-bedroom apartments has shot up.

Rent increase: 21.2%
Median rent: $1,600
Rent rank statewide: Third-highest

1. Apache Junction

Despite remaining just below the state’s median rent for a one-bedroom unit, this city’s rental costs have increased a lot since last January.

Rent increase: 30%
Median rent: $1,300
Rent rank statewide: 10th-highest