Insights / Albany

Tight
Heating
Condition and direction
Albany, NY · recomputed daily
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Albany, NY Multifamily Market Read | September 2026

Albany reads Tight and Heating, so landlords have the edge. Asking rents are firming, up 4.8% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026). This brief lays out what the current data shows for Albany, grouped by how often each source updates.

Updated September 20, 2026

Asking rent YoY · monthly
+4.8%
Vacancy · 2024
2.1%
Jobs YoY · monthly
+0.4%

What is moving now (monthly)

Asking rents are firming, up 4.8% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026). Jobs are growing modestly, up 0.4% over the past year (BLS, monthly, latest Aug 2026).

The backdrop (yearly, US Census Bureau)

Vacancy was 2.1%, on the low side, a tight rental market, in the 2024 count (US Census Bureau). This is a yearly snapshot, not a monthly signal. New permitting was subdued, -34.7% in the 2025 count (US Census Bureau, building permits). A standing yearly figure, not a live signal. Net migration was positive at +2.6 per 1,000 residents in the 2025 count (US Census Bureau).

Rent context

The metro median rent, including utilities, was about $1,341 a month in the 2024 count (US Census Bureau).

What the data shows

Taken together, Albany is Tight and heating: landlords have the edge. The monthly movers, asking rent and jobs, are the live part of the picture, while vacancy, permitting, and migration are yearly snapshots that set the backdrop. MetroSgnl reads the market from public data and shows every figure with its source and cadence. This is market information, not investment advice, and not a recommendation about any property.

Common questions about Albany · answered from the data, updated September 20, 2026

Is the Albany rental market tight or soft right now?

Albany reads Tight right now, so landlords have the edge.

Which way is the Albany market heading?

Albany is heating right now, as asking rents firm over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly).

Is Albany a landlord's or a renter's market?

Albany is a landlord's market right now, because it reads Tight.

What is the vacancy rate in Albany?

Vacancy in Albany is 2.1% in the Jan 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a live monthly signal (US Census Bureau).

How much have Albany rents changed?

Asking rents in Albany are up 4.8% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

Albany’s new housing pace slows - Albany Business ReviewThe Business Journals
Steamboat Square to assist Albany's housing crisisWRGB
The Albany region's largest apartment and townhouse communitiesThe Business Journals
Albany gets $200M to build housing, revamp Liberty ParkWNYT.com
Albany Progressives Push 'State of Yes' Zoning Reforms, And What Else Happened This Week in Housingcitylimits.org
UAlbany Celebrates Opening of Great Dane Apartments, New 225-Bed Residence HallUniversity at Albany
See all Albany news →

Data: Zillow ZORI, BLS, US Census Bureau, FRED, and the MetroSgnl news feed. Recomputed daily. Market information only, not investment advice.

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