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Rent prices are rising rapidly across the country, and the number of people seeking rentals has returned to pre-pandemic levels or higher, writes Axios' Jennifer Kingson.

Why it matters: Denver's rental market is shifting, with new options to save money and find roommates.

The big picture: As COVID-era restrictions expire — including moratoriums on evictions — and available housing stock continues to dwindle, expect once-desperate landlords to sit in the catbird seat as renters fork out, Jennifer adds.

Rents are up 9.6% nationwide in 2021 to an average of $1,649 a month, according to Dwellsy, which calls itself the largest rental housing platform in the U.S.

Zoom in: The average rent in Denver is $1,824, which is above the national average, according to the latest report from RENTCafé. It's an 11% increase from a year ago.

In Denver, 51% of the households are renter-occupied.

In the metro suburbs, renters don't dominate like in many places. Only Wheat Ridge — with 47% renter households — is expected to transition to majority-renter in the next five years, a separate RENTCafé study found.

What they're saying: "The U.S. rental market is a mess right now," Jonas Bordo, CEO and co-founder of Dwellsy, tells Axios via email.

"Renting activity is back to pre-pandemic levels — up 13% in the first half of 2021 compared to the same time last year," per RENTCafé, which adds that the two groups pushing rents up most are Gen Z and high-earning millennials.

The intrigue: Silverthorne recently landed atop a list of the most expensive rental markets, according to Dwellsy, which says its rental database is much larger than RENTCafé.

The town is 70 miles from Denver, but more importantly known as a central location to the ski hills in Summit County.

Rent is rising in Denver and across Colorado

The city's rental market is shifting with new options to save money and find roommates.

Rent prices are rising rapidly across the country, and the number of people seeking rentals has returned to pre-pandemic levels or higher, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="writes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/the-days-of-cheaper-rentals-are-over-e9eefe04-2711-4d8f-b4c5-189263a29f69.html" data-vars-content-id="03771476-4d53-46fc-a76e-73155a32258f" data-vars-headline="Rent is rising in Denver and across Colorado" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/the-days-of-cheaper-rentals-are-over-e9eefe04-2711-4d8f-b4c5-189263a29f69.html" target="_self">writes</a> Axios&#x27; Jennifer Kingson.Why it matters: Denver&#x27;s rental market is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shifting, with new options" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2021/10/01/denver-rental-market-apartments-homes-startups" data-vars-content-id="03771476-4d53-46fc-a76e-73155a32258f" data-vars-headline="Rent is rising in Denver and across Colorado" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2021/10/01/denver-rental-market-apartments-homes-startups" target="_self">shifting, with new options</a> to save money and find roommates.

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Axios Denver, anchored by John Frank and Alayna Alvarez, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.

Jennifer A. Kingson

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Rent is rising in Denver and across Colorado