Insights / Baltimore

Firm
Cooling
Condition and direction
Baltimore, MD · recomputed daily
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Baltimore, MD Multifamily Market Read | September 2026

Baltimore reads Firm and Cooling, so landlords have the edge. Asking rents are firming, up 2.0% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026). This brief lays out what the current data shows for Baltimore, grouped by how often each source updates.

Updated September 20, 2026

Asking rent YoY · monthly
+2.0%
Vacancy · 2024
4.4%
Jobs YoY · monthly
-0.5%

What is moving now (monthly)

Asking rents are firming, up 2.0% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026). Jobs are softening, down 0.5% over the past year (BLS, monthly, latest Aug 2026).

The backdrop (yearly, US Census Bureau)

Vacancy was 4.4%, 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, -10.6% in the 2025 count (US Census Bureau, building permits). A standing yearly figure, not a live signal. Net migration was negative at -1.8 per 1,000 residents in the 2025 count (US Census Bureau).

Rent context

The metro median rent, including utilities, was about $1,633 a month in the 2024 count (US Census Bureau).

What the data shows

Taken together, Baltimore is Firm and cooling: 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 Baltimore · answered from the data, updated September 20, 2026

Is the Baltimore rental market tight or soft right now?

Baltimore reads Firm right now, so landlords have the edge.

Which way is the Baltimore market heading?

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

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

Baltimore is a landlord's market right now, because it reads Firm.

What is the vacancy rate in Baltimore?

Vacancy in Baltimore is 4.4% in the Jan 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a live monthly signal (US Census Bureau).

How much have Baltimore rents changed?

Asking rents in Baltimore are up 2.0% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

Developers say housing regulations drive up costs that price Marylanders out of homeownershipBaltimore Sun
Standard Real Estate Investment Has Acquired Greenwich Place Multifamily Townhome Apartments in BaltimoreYield PRO
Want less segregated Baltimore schools? Fix housing and transit first, researchers say.The Baltimore Banner
Lender claims $14M in losses from alleged Baltimore housing fraud schemeMaryland Daily Record
Baltimore County Moves Lutherville Station Redevelopment Toward State Fundingcitybiz.co
Baltimore housing office under fraud investigation: 11 Investigates98 Rock Baltimore
See all Baltimore 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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