Insights / Denver
Denver, CO Multifamily Market Read | September 2026
Denver reads Soft and Cooling, so renters have the edge. Asking rents are easing, down 1.6% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026). This brief lays out what the current data shows for Denver, grouped by how often each source updates.
Updated September 20, 2026
What is moving now (monthly)
Asking rents are easing, down 1.6% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026). Jobs are roughly flat over the past year (BLS, monthly, latest Aug 2026).
The backdrop (yearly, US Census Bureau)
Vacancy was 4.9%, 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 heavy, +27.5% in the 2025 count (US Census Bureau, building permits). A standing yearly figure, not a live signal. Net migration was negative at -4.7 per 1,000 residents in the 2025 count (US Census Bureau).
Rent context
The metro median rent, including utilities, was about $1,943 a month in the 2024 count (US Census Bureau).
What the data shows
Taken together, Denver is Soft and cooling: renters 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.
Is the Denver rental market tight or soft right now?
Denver reads Soft right now, so renters have the edge.
Which way is the Denver market heading?
Denver is cooling right now, as asking rents ease over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly).
Is Denver a landlord's or a renter's market?
Denver is a renter's market right now, because it reads Soft.
What is the vacancy rate in Denver?
Vacancy in Denver is 4.9% in the Jan 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a live monthly signal (US Census Bureau).
How much have Denver rents changed?
Asking rents in Denver are down 1.6% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Aug 2026).
Recent coverage
Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.
Data: Zillow ZORI, BLS, US Census Bureau, FRED, and the MetroSgnl news feed. Recomputed daily. Market information only, not investment advice.