According to Zillow, the online real estate database company founded by two former Microsoft executives, the numbers speak for themselves. Data shows that U.S, renters spent a combined $441 billion on housing in 2014 with rents continuing to outpace incomes.
When looking at the 50 largest metros in the U.S. it is surprising to note that a comparison of average quantity renters paid per month ranked by city had San Jose, California leading the list with renters paying on average $1,807 per month. The top 20 list of the most highly-priced metro areas for renters has four of the top five located in California with San Jose #1 ($1,807), San Francisco #2 (1,598) , San Diego #4 (1,362) and Los Angeles #5 ($1,308). The only east coast city to break into the top five was Washington D.C. at number three at $1,428.
A complete list of the top 20:
| Rank | Metro | Avg. MonthlyRent Payment | Rank | Metro | Avg. Monthly Rent Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $1,807 | 11 | Denver, CO | $1,066 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $1,598 | 12 | Baltimore, MD | $1,047 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $1,428 | 13 | Sacramento, CA | $1,029 |
| 4 | San Diego, CA | $1,362 | 14 | Austin, TX | $1,008 |
| 5 | Los Angeles, CA | $1,308 | 15 | Chicago, IL | $991 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $1,228 | 16 | Portland, OR | $977 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $1,197 | 17 | Virginia Beach, VA | $949 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $1,154 | 18 | Philadelphia, PA | $936 |
| 9 | Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL | $1,127 | 19 | Orlando, FL | $931 |
| 10 | Riverside, CA | $1,075 | 20 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | $927 |