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US median asking rent hits 4-year low in February

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US median asking rent hits 4-year low in February

American renters got some price relief in February as the national median asking rent dipped to the lowest level in four years, with some metro areas seeing notable declines.

An analysis by Realtor.com found that the median asking rent for 0 to 2-bedroom properties in the 50 largest metro areas declined for the 30th consecutive month, with the metric falling $29, or 1.7%, compared to a year ago in February. 

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The median asking rent in those markets was $1,667 – down 5.1% from its peak in summer 2022 but still14.2% higher than its pre-pandemic level. All 50 metro areas analyzed in the report had median asking rents below their peak level.

Realtor.com found that there were 15 markets that had median asking rents down at least 10% from their peaks as of February 2026, as renters in those metro areas have seen the most significant relief since the pandemic era.

RENO SURPASSES LAS VEGAS AS TOP DESTINATION FOR CALIFORNIA HOMEBUYERS SEEKING AFFORDABILITY

The skyline in Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas, saw the largest decline in median asking rent compared with its pandemic peak, Realtor.com found. (Rick Kern/Getty Images)

The steepest decline in the median asking rent from the pandemic peak was in Austin, Texas, which had seen the rental price decline 18.2% from its peak and 7.1% year over year.

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Birmingham, Alabama, ranked second with a 17.1% decline from the peak, while the median asking rent was down 3.4% from a year ago. 

The Memphis, Tennessee, metro area has seen a 16.1% decline, which ranked as the third deepest, while the rent declined 3.8% from last year.

MIAMI OVERTAKES LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK AS WORLD’S RISKIEST HOUSING MARKET FOR BUBBLE RISK

A view of the Las Vegas strip

Las Vegas was among the metro areas with a double-digit decline from its pandemic peak. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Other cities in the Sun Belt were among those that saw the largest decline in median asking rent, with Phoenix, Arizona, down 15.6% from its peak including a 4.4% decrease from a year ago.

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Atlanta was down 15.2% in February from the market’s peak, with prices down 2% from last year. 

Las Vegas had similar figures, with a 14.8% decline in the median asking price from its peak and 1.8% from a year ago.

AMERICA’S 10 MOST EXPENSIVE ZIP CODES REVEALED

San Diego, California

San Diego’s median asking rent was over 10% below its pandemic peak in February. (iStock)

San Diego has also seen a notable decline in the median asking rent from the pandemic peak, with it down 14.3% from its high and 3.7% from a year ago.

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Five metro areas have seen much more modest declines in the median asking rent when compared with the pandemic-era peak.

The metro area with the smallest decrease as of February was Virginia Beach, Virginia, which was down just 1.7% from the peak – in part because the median rent rose 4.5% in the last year.

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Kansas City was down 1.8% from the peak and had the median asking rent rise by 1% from a year ago, while Baltimore’s rental figure was down 2.4% from its peak and up 0.8% in the last year.

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KWEB: Legacy Businesses Take Time To Phase-Out

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KWEB: Legacy Businesses Take Time To Phase-Out

KWEB: Legacy Businesses Take Time To Phase-Out

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'I jump in the sea to refresh my brain': How remote workers are boosting coastal towns

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'I jump in the sea to refresh my brain': How remote workers are boosting coastal towns

The rise in remote working means many professionals are choosing to settle in coastal and rural towns.

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U POWER LIMITED Achieves Significant Milestone in Revolutionizing Thailand’s Heavy-Duty Truck Battery-Swapping Industry

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U POWER LIMITED Achieves Significant Milestone in Revolutionizing Thailand's Heavy-Duty Truck Battery-Swapping Industry

U POWER Limited will launch its Hong Kong taxi battery-swapping operations in Q2 2026. The project aims to enhance commercial vehicle electrification and improve operational efficiency in high-density urban markets.

Hong Kong Taxi Battery-Swapping Operations Expected to Launch Soon

U POWER Limited, a provider of specialized solutions for next-generation energy networks and intelligent transportation systems, announced that, following its securing an order for 1,000 battery-swapping heavy-duty trucks in Thailand and completing production of the first batch of vehicles, its Hong Kong taxi battery-swapping project is also expected to complete station deployment and commence operations in the second quarter of 2026. This development marks a new stage of full commercial rollout for U POWER LIMITED’s battery-swapping business for commercial vehicles across the Asian market.

Successful Validation of Commercial Use Cases Supports Scaled Growth of the Battery-Swapping Model

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As one of the earliest technology companies in the industry to invest in the R&D and commercialization of battery-swapping solutions, U POWER LIMITED began promoting its UOTTA battery-swapping model for commercial vehicles in 2020 and achieved proven success in mainland China. After becoming the world’s first publicly listed battery-swapping technology company in 2023, U POWER accelerated its international expansion strategy, entering into partnerships with several major enterprises, including Thailand’s SUSCO (Susco Public Company Limited) and Whale Logistics Group.

In 2025, the company successfully launched a taxi battery-swapping business in Phuket, Thailand, and introduced its UNEX heavy-duty truck battery-swapping project to the Thai market, becoming the first company in overseas markets to achieve scaled commercial operations of battery swapping for commercial transport vehicles.

Further Advancing Hong Kong Taxi Battery-Swapping Project

U POWER LIMITED began laying out its strategy for the Hong Kong taxi battery-swapping market in 2024. In June 2025, the company completed Hong Kong’s first demonstration battery-swapping station capable of commercial operation. Since then, it has continued discussions with taxi industry partners regarding the broader rollout of battery-swapping taxis.

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After identifying a vehicle model suitable for the Hong Kong market in October 2024, the company conducted ongoing road-testing and battery-swapping compatibility validation, while completing the relevant certifications in accordance with the Transport Department’s market access requirements for taxi vehicles. According to the company, this batch of battery-swapping taxis has now met the conditions for on-road operation. In parallel with the construction of battery-swapping stations, U POWER is targeting market launch in the second quarter of 2026.

Focused on Commercial Vehicle Battery Swapping and Optimistic About the Hong Kong Market

Li Jia, Founder and CEO of U POWER LIMITED, said that the company has become an undisputed leader in the ecological development and commercialization of battery-swapping solutions for commercial vehicles in overseas markets outside mainland China.

“Leveraging our AI-driven energy management system and standardized battery-swapping infrastructure, we are building an ecosystem for a wide range of commercial battery-swapping vehicles and advancing the electrification of commercial transportation,” Li said.

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Li added that Hong Kong is one of the world’s most representative high-density urban transportation markets, where the taxi sector places a strong premium on operating efficiency. Compared with conventional charging, U POWER’s battery-swapping model is therefore better suited to the Hong Kong market.

Property owners do not need to install more land-intensive charging facilities or invest in costly grid upgrades. For taxi operators and fleet managers, there is no need to worry about battery performance degradation or daily battery maintenance, nor about range limitations affecting driver recruitment. In addition, the battery-swapping model can be integrated with a battery banking system, making day-to-day operating costs more economical.

For these reasons, the company believes battery swapping will gain broader acceptance within Hong Kong’s taxi industry, and it will continue working alongside industry stakeholders to support the electrification transition of Hong Kong taxis.

 

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Source : U POWER LIMITED Makes Major Breakthrough in Thailand’s Heavy-Duty Truck Battery-Swapping Market

The information provided in this article was created by Cision PR Newswire, our news partner. The author's opinions and the content shared on this page are their own and may not necessarily represent the perspectives of Thailand Business News.

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Businesses scramble to get noticed by AI search

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Businesses scramble to get noticed by AI search

Firms are changing the way they present information on their websites, so they get noticed by AI.

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Japan February household spending falls 1.8% year-on-year

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Japan February household spending falls 1.8% year-on-year


Japan February household spending falls 1.8% year-on-year

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Nobody Believed In Alphabet: In 2026, It Faces Its Biggest Test (NASDAQ:GOOG)

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Alphabet: Don't Let The CapEx Scare You Away From A $240B Backlog (NASDAQ:GOOG)

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of GOOG either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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Trump's Hormuz deadline looms but some Asian nations have already struck deals with Iran

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Trump's Hormuz deadline looms but some Asian nations have already struck deals with Iran

Nations in the region have been keen to reach agreements as their economies are heavily reliant on Middle East energy.

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COPJ: Outperforming COPX, With A Compelling Investment Case Ahead (NASDAQ:COPJ)

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Southern Copper: Elite Reserves Mask A Risky Valuation Disconnect

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Investment research, primarily oriented towards uncelebrated/under-covered stocks and ETFs, across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. Seeks to combine both fundamental and technical disciplines while making an investment/trading proposition.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Analysis-Trump seizes on rescue of downed airman to recast unpopular Iran war

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Analysis-Trump seizes on rescue of downed airman to recast unpopular Iran war

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Zillow says housing market accelerated in March despite rising rates

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Mortgage rates rise to 6.22%: Freddie Mac

The U.S. housing market accelerated in March despite elevated mortgage rates reducing some of the affordability improvement the market had recently seen, according to a new report.

Zillow released its market report for March which found that newly pending home listings increased 4.6% from a year ago in March.

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That increased the number of listings to the second-largest monthly total since the end of the pandemic boom in August 2022, which Zillow said was a positive sign for the market as the home shopping season begins in earnest.

The housing market’s uptick occurred despite mortgage rates increasing from 5.98% at the end of February to 6.38% in late March, according to data from Freddie Mac. Excluding taxes and insurance, the typical mortgage payment increased 1.5% from February, which undercut some of the affordability improvements the market had seen.

THESE 10 HOUSING MARKETS GIVE FIRST-TIME BUYERS THE BEST SHOT AT HOMEOWONERSHIP IN 2026

An open house for a home.

The housing market is showing signs it’s picking up despite mortgage rates rising higher again. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Zillow found that the monthly mortgage payment on a typical U.S. home was $1,789 in March, given a 20% down payment, after excluding taxes and insurance. While that figure rose on a monthly basis, it was 4.4% lower than last year, according to the report.

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There were 1.23 million homes listed for sale in March. Inventory rose 9.5% from February and active inventory was 4.2% higher than it was a year earlier.

The number of new for sale listings totaled 384,854 in March, an increase of 0.1% from a year ago and 35.6% in February.

AMERICA’S 10 MOST EXPENSIVE ZIP CODES REVEALED

Split photo of credit score and home

Mortgage rates have risen lately, curbing some of the affordability improvements seen earlier this year. (Getty Images)

Newly pending listings – a figure that measures listings which changed from for sale to pending status rather than closed sales – shows 4.6% growth from a year earlier, and a 29.8% increase over February.

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A total of 300,398 homes were sold in March, according to a preliminary reading from the Zillow sales count nowcast. That’s up 3.7% from a year ago and 25.2% from February, though those figures will be revised mid-month.

THE US HOUSING MARKETS THAT ARE SEEING THE LARGEST DROPS IN RENT PRICES

home for sale

The number of homes sold in March was up on both an annual and monthly basis. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Buyers and sellers have been navigating uncertainty and market volatility in some form since the onset of the pandemic, and this month’s concern over energy prices is no different,” said Mischa Fisher, chief economist at Zillow. “However, we have persistent signals that the market has turned a corner.”

“Pent-up demand from three years of low sales volume and winter storms in January and February, along with the tailwind from lower mortgage rates earlier in the year, seem to have buoyed the market as home shopping season kicked off. In particular, the rapid acceleration of daily page views per listing we saw in March was a noteworthy improvement over the dormant market of recent years,” Fischer added.

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