Atlanta Rents Are Going Down

Atlanta’s rental market is finally showing renters some relief.

Atlanta rent prices are easing as 2025 comes to a close, aligning with a national cooldown after years of rapid increases. While affordability pressures remain, especially for lower-wage workers, the latest Realtor.com® data show that Atlanta rentals are benefiting from a modest but meaningful reset.

According to recent data, Atlanta rent is following a broader trend seen in other metros, where rents are beginning to fall after several years of rising costs.

Atlanta rents fall, but minimum-wage workers still feel the squeeze

Rents in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro are clearly trending down. The median asking Atlanta rent for studio to 2-bedroom units in November 2025 was $1,543, a 2.3% decline year over year, according to the November 2025 rent data from Realtor.com®.

That drop gives renters more leverage than they have had in recent years. For households searching across Atlanta, Georgia, the shift is especially noticeable in listings for smaller apartments and older multifamily buildings.

Even so, affordability remains a major challenge for the city’s lowest-paid workers. Georgia follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, and at that level, two minimum-wage earners would each need to work about 85 hours per week to afford the median rental while keeping housing costs at 30% of income. That workload is among the highest required across the nation’s largest metros and has not improved from last year.

This contrast highlights a key tension in Atlanta renting conditions. Falling rents offer relief, but they do not automatically translate into affordability when wages remain low. While many entry-level jobs in the metro pay above the statutory minimum, the official data underscore how stretched housing costs still are for households at the bottom of the income scale.

A national market in correction mode

Atlanta’s experience reflects broader national trends. Across the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, median asking rent fell for the 28th consecutive month on a year-over-year basis in November. The national median rent now stands at $1,693, down 1% from last year and marking the third straight November with annual declines. For renters in Atlanta, Georgia, this national slowdown comes as a welcome shift, although the overall housing market remains expensive compared to pre-pandemic years.

This extended cooldown follows the dramatic rent surge of 2021 and 2022. While renters have seen some relief, costs remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. Nationally, rents are still 17.2% higher than they were in November 2019, keeping affordability front and center in the 2025 housing conversation.

The slowdown varies by unit size. One- and two-bedroom rents are down about 1% nationwide, while studio rents have barely budged, declining just 0.4% year over year. Economists note that studio rents tend to move more quickly with demand, and their relative stability may signal that more renters are choosing to live alone again.

Despite falling rents, affordability remains elusive for many households. Only five of the 50 largest metros currently allow two minimum-wage earners to afford the median rental without overtime. Atlanta is not on that list, underscoring how widespread the affordability gap remains even as Atlanta rentals become less expensive on paper.

Renting still cheaper than buying for most Atlanta households

As rents soften, many Atlanta households are reevaluating the financial trade-offs between leasing and ownership. Nationally, renting remains the cheaper monthly option, with the median rent of $1,693 still well below the typical mortgage payment of $2,040, even as borrowing costs ease. That comparison is part of a broader rent versus buy calculation playing out across the country.

“Rent continues to fall in many of the major metros across the United States for a variety of reasons,” says Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com®. “The biggest one is that rent is still correcting itself from the dramatic run-up of 2021 and 2022.”

For many residents across Atlanta, Georgia, renting generally remains the more affordable choice, particularly for households without savings for a down payment. Still, as Atlanta rent prices cool and mortgage rates stabilize, the financial gap is narrowing, making the decision more nuanced for households planning their next move in a shifting housing market.

This article was produced with editorial input from Dina Sartore-Bodo and Gabriella Iannetta.