Renting Your Own Place Is Getting More Expensive

As nice as it might be to have a place to yourself, it might not feel as good when the rent is due.

The “singles tax”—or the extra amount solo renters paid for a one-bedroom apartment over the course of a year versus those splitting one with a partner or roommate—has reached a record-high average of over $7,500, according to an analysis by Zillow. That, Zillow said, marks a year-over-year increase of more than $450.

Put another way, someone splitting the cost of an average one-bedroom rent can save more than $7,500 a year when compared with someone going it alone.

New York City claimed the top spot for highest singles tax, with solo renters paying a roughly $20,000 anual premium to set the thermostat at their choice level, decorate how they like, and have more personal space, according to StreetEasy, Zillow’s New York City brand. San Francisco; San Jose, Calif.; Boston; and Washington, D.C., rounded out the top five U.S. cities with the highest singles tax.

Housing cost increases have settled back down to pre-pandemic levels, making home costs feel less severe amid surging prices for food and other necessities.

About 1 in 10 adults between 18-34 and nearly 3 in 10 adults 65 or older lived alone in 2022, according to the Census Bureau.