Rent Prices Increase Near McLean Metro Stops Since 2021: Report

MCLEAN, VA — The DC Metrorail transit system is forcing one-bedroom rents along stops in and near McLean to soar, according to a new report from RentHop.

According to the listings portal, the Silver Line passes through McLean where the median asking price for one-bedroom rent is $1,770 — a 12.4 percent increase since 2021.

Other median rent prices include $1,800 near Tysons Corner Metro (12.5 percent increase), $1,868 near the Greensboro Metro (13.2 percent increase) and $1,875 near the Spring Hill Metro (10.3 percent increase).

The closest metro stop is one of the first things renters often consider when looking for an apartment, leading to higher housing costs, the data science team at RentHop says.

RentHop compiles an annual report on median rent prices near Metro's 91 stops in DC, Maryland and Virginia. The report analyzes prices of one-bedroom apartments from May 1 to July 31, 2021 and 2022 from RentHop and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority GIS data for Metrorail stops from DC.gov.

Apartments used in the report are within a half mile of a Metro stop and cannot be duplicated listings. RentHop calculated the median of the rent prices if there were 20 unique data points. If there weren't 20 unique data points, the radius from the Metro stop was increased.

In the latest report, RentHop found rent prices increased near 89 of 91 Metro stops. That's a significant change from last year's report, when rent decreased in the area of 55 of 91 Metro stops.

In last year's report, RentHop attributed those declines to commuter habit changes and remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But as cities emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, housing affordability is worsening. RentHop's report found the median one-bedroom rent near Metro stops is $1,854, a 9.03 percent increase from a year ago.

"Renters in major cities across the U.S. have experienced significant rent hikes as the country recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic," RentHop noted in its report. "In New York, rents have rebounded and exceeded the pre-pandemic level. Similar things are happening in Miami and Boston, and Washington D.C. is no exception."

The only stations where median rent did not increase were Fort Totten ($1,500) and West Hyattsville ($1,450).

The stations with the highest increases in median rent are:

• Foggy Bottom-GWU, Washington, DC: $2,375, 18.75 percent increase
• Congress Heights, Washington, DC: $1,400, 17.89 percent increase
• Pentagon City, Arlington, VA: $2,248, 16.84 percent increase
• Farragut West, Washington, DC: $2,471, 16.69 percent increase
• Pentagon, Arlington, VA: $2,245, 16.63 percent increase
• Branch Ave, Camp Springs, MD: $2,050, 16.15 percent increase
• NoMa-Gallaudet U, Washington, DC: $2,258, 15.77 percent increase
• Cleveland Park, Washington, DC: $2,140, 15.21 percent increase
• Navy Yard-Ballpark, Washington, DC: $2,099, 15.01 percent increase
• Farragut North, Washington, DC: $2,350, 14.63 percent increase

See RentHop's full report and an interactive map of rent prices near the DC region's Metro stations.

Patch editor Emily Leayman contributed to this article.