What are Washington’s hottest rental markets? Here’s how Tri-Cities compares
Planning a move? Tri-Cities has one of the hottest rental markets in the region, according to RentCafe.
The online rental platform recently ranked the most competitive rental markets in the United States, showcasing the cities where it’s toughest to sign a lease during the busy summer months.
Factors that make a market competitive include occupancy rates, the number of renters competing for properties and the availability of new apartments, RentCafe said.
RentCafe also created a rental competitiveness index to measure just how difficult it is to find an apartment during peak rental season.
As of September, the national rental competitive index was 74.6%, meaning nearly three-fourths of all renters are dealing with a “very tight” real estate market, according to RentCafe.
Here’s where renting is the most competitive in Washington state and across the nation:
Why is it so hard to find an apartment right now?
Across the country, renters are staying put for longer — and not enough apartments are being built to meet their demands, according to RentCafe.
RentCafe focused on the peak rental season from May through September, when students are searching for housing for the school year, families are re-establishing themselves in new areas and recent graduates are relocating for new jobs.
Using Yardi Systems data, RentCafe evaluated more than 100 rental markets across the country based on five key indicators:
- Number of days apartments were vacant
- Percentage of apartments occupied by renters
- Number of prospective renters competing for an apartment
- Percentage of renters who renewed their leases
- Share of new apartments completed recently
RentCafe research analyst Veronica Grecu said the site focused on “market-rate, large-scale, multifamily properties of at least 50 units,” excluding those considered “fully affordable.”
Where are hottest rental markets in the US?
Across the nation, about 93% of apartments were occupied during 2025’s peak rental season, according to RentCafe.
Apartments were vacant for an average of 40 days, RentCafe found, and there were nine prospective tenants per empty rental unit.
The lease renewal rate was 62.7%, while the share of new apartments was about 0.8%, RentCafe said.
In comparison, rental properties were vacant for 41 days on average in 2024, roughly the same percentage were occupied and slightly more renters renewed their leases.
According to the RentCafe data, the most competitive rental markets across the country in 2025 were:
- Miami
- Chicago
- Suburban Chicago
- Manhattan
- Suburban Twin Cities, Minnesota and Wisconsin
- Milwaukee
- Brooklyn
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Suburban Philadelphia
The Pacific Northwest had less competition for rentals than almost every other region in the country, RentCafe said.
The Pacific Northwest had a rental competitiveness index score of 71.6, the site said, compared to 72.5 in California and 69.8 in the West.
What are tightest rental markets in Pacific Northwest?
RentCafe highlighted a total of six Pacific Northwest rental markets in its analysis:
- Spokane
- Tacoma
- Seattle
- Eugene, Oregon
- Tri-Cities
- Portland, Oregon
Across the five key indicators, these markets were relatively on-par with how competitive renting is in the rest of the United States.
How competitive is Tri-Cities rental market?
During the 2025 peak rental season, Tri-Cities had a rental competitive index score of 69, RentCafe said.
About 92.4% of apartments in Tri-Cities were occupied during that time period, the site found, with nine prospective renters per vacant unit.
Apartments were vacant for 40 days on average, according to RentCafe.
Tri-Cities had a lease renewal rate of 42.4%, the site said, and the share of new apartments was about 0.5%.
By comparison, apartments in Spokane — the hottest rental market in the region — were vacant for an average of 43 days, according to RentCafe.
About 94.4% of Spokane apartments were occupied, RentCafe said, with 13 prospective renters per vacant unit.
The lease renewal rate was 49.2%, the RentCafe analysis found, and the share of new apartments was 0%.
Spokane had a rental competitive index score of 76.7, higher than the national score.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM.