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Average Rent in Downtown & Rent Trends

Rent prices and market trends across 11 apartment communities in Downtown, Norfolk, VA. Updated daily.

Area All Areas Downtown Fairmont Park Ghent Highland Park
Norfolk 23517
Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed

Showing any bedrooms in Downtown.

Market Average

$1,980/mo

▲ +3.4% from last month

Lowest Available

$1,312/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

11

tracked daily

Units Listed

80

available now

Rent Watch: cuts and increases

Open Rent Watch →

0 cuts and 0 increases among 5 comparable listings this week. Filter by bedrooms and budget, then inspect each building’s history.

Downtown vs Norfolk, VA Average

Downtown is more expensive than the Norfolk, VA average by $147/mo (8%). The citywide average is $1,833/mo across all neighborhoods.

Is Rent Going Up or Down in Downtown?

As of October 2026, the average rent in Downtown is $1,980 per month across 11 apartment communities and 80 available units. Rents have increased $64 (3.4%) over the past month.

The most affordable option is The James Apartments starting at $1,312/mo. By unit type, a studio averages $1,505/mo, a 1-bedroom averages $1,832/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $2,277/mo, a 3-bedroom averages $3,332/mo.

Prices range from $1,312 to $4,619 per month. The most common price point is the $1,800 range, where 19 units are currently listed.

Downtown Rent Price History

Timeframe
View as table
Month Avg Rent Change Properties
June 2026 $1,849 - 9
July 2026 $1,799 -$50 11
August 2026 $1,880 +$81 11
September 2026 $1,848 -$32 11
October 2026 $1,922 +$74 11

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in Downtown

Studio
$1,505
from $1,312 · 12 units
1 Bed
$1,832
from $1,540 · 42 units
2 Bed
$2,277
from $2,050 · 22 units
3 Bed
$3,332
from $2,805 · 4 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in Downtown

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
The James Apartments $1,312/mo $1,836/mo 5 3.4
Hague Towers Apartment Homes $1,350/mo $1,746/mo 6 4
The Rockefeller Norfolk Apartments $1,430/mo $1,543/mo 3 4
The Wainwright Downtown Apartments $1,431/mo $1,903/mo 9 4.3
Gravity on 400 $1,514/mo $1,937/mo 17 3.5
Savoy Apartments $1,565/mo $1,611/mo 2 4
The Virginia Building Apartments $1,577/mo $1,577/mo 1 3.7

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in Downtown

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

Scroll or tap to choose. Apply your choice to update the rents, charts, and answers.

Showing: Any bedrooms. Your choice applies to the rent data on this page and carries to other rent pages.

What is the average rent in Downtown?
The average asking rent for apartment listings in Downtown is $1,980 per month, as of October 2026. We calculate it from 80 priced units across 11 apartment buildings. These are advertised rents, not signed leases or renewal offers.

What rent range can I find in Downtown?
The apartment listings we track in Downtown range from $1,312 to $4,619 per month, as of October 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in Downtown?
There is not enough comparable history to report a reliable 30-day rent change for apartment listings in Downtown. Missing dates or a change in the buildings we track can prevent a comparison. Missing history does not mean rents stayed flat.

How much is a studio apartment in Downtown?
Studio apartments average $1,505 per month across 12 priced listings in Downtown. Listed rents range from $1,312 to $1,699 per month, as of October 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Downtown?
1-bedroom apartments average $1,832 per month across 42 priced listings in Downtown. Listed rents range from $1,540 to $2,229 per month, as of October 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in Downtown?
2-bedroom apartments average $2,277 per month across 22 priced listings in Downtown. Listed rents range from $2,050 to $2,499 per month, as of October 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 3-bedroom apartment in Downtown?
3-bedroom apartments average $3,332 per month across 4 priced listings in Downtown. Listed rents range from $2,805 to $4,619 per month, as of October 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How do 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom rents compare in Downtown?
The 1-bedroom average is $1,832 per month across 42 listings. The 2-bedroom average is $2,277 across 22 listings, $445 (24.3%) higher. This is a comparison of listing groups, not the cost to upgrade a specific apartment.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in Downtown?
The James Apartments has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $1,312 per month. We track 5 priced listings matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of October 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

Which rent range has the most listings in Downtown?
The $1,800 to $2,000 monthly range has the most matching listings: 19 units, or 23.8% of the priced apartments we track in Downtown. This count does not tell us how fast the apartments rent.

How many apartment listings do you track in Downtown?
We track 80 priced units at 11 apartment buildings, as of October 2026. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for Downtown?
We have recorded rent data on 105 days from June 2026 through October 2026 for apartment listings in Downtown. Some dates can be missing. The chart only shows recorded data. The current month includes the days recorded so far.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in Downtown?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the Downtown rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was October 18, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in Downtown?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$79,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $1,980/mo.

Comfortable income

$95,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($1,312/mo), you need to earn at least $52,000/year.

Median household income in Downtown is $64,017 , about 33% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore Downtown Apartments

Browse all 11 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

Browse All Apartments Find Your Match

Cost of living in Downtown

Overall prices in Downtown runs below the national average by about 2% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 97.7, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Downtown's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $1,980
Utilities $420
Groceries $524
Transportation $1,001
Healthcare $488
Other goods and services $781
Estimated total $5,195/mo

Population

235,037

Median household income

$64,017

Census median rent

$1,246/mo

Census rent burden

31.7%

Median age

32.4

Mean commute

23 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
Virginia Rent Trends
Compare rent across all Virginia cities
Norfolk, VA Neighborhood Rent Map
See rent history by neighborhood on a map
Explore Norfolk, VA on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how Norfolk, VA rents stack up against the national median

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