How swiftly must a California apartment seeker act to grab a new residence?
Well, my trusty spreadsheet reviewed some curious data from ApartmentList that tracks how long vacant units go unrented in 46 large U.S. metropolitan areas – including six from California. The focus was on the six-month average through November, compared with 12 months earlier and with the average pace dating back to 2019.
This “time on market” benchmark can give renters a sense of how quickly their decision-making must be – and how that timing varies by market. When markets are tight, empty units usually rent quickly. When conditions favor tenants, vacancies sit longer.
Let’s start with a national yardstick. The average American vacancy was 31 days in the past six months – that is two days less than 12 months earlier. So, it’s slightly more competitive than late 2024.
However, empty units are sitting unrented three days longer than the seven-year average. That’s a sign the national market is slower than normal.
Golden State renters will be disappointed to see that vacant units in all six California metros studied have been renting faster than the U.S. pace. In much of the Southern U.S., for example, heavy apartment construction has created numerous renter-friendly markets with plentiful empty units.
Here are the California renting speeds, ranked from fastest to slowest, which vary by as much as eight days …
Sacramento: 22 days average over the last six months, third-lowest nationally. That’s half a day slower than a year ago, but it’s one day longer than the seven-year average.
Inland Empire: 24 days, No. 5 nationally – up two days in a year and three days above average.
Los Angeles-Orange County: 29 days, No. 11 nationally – off two days in a year but one day above average.
San Francisco: 29 days, No. 11 nationally – off six days in a year and two days below average.
San Diego: 29 days, No. 11 nationally – off two days in a year but five days above average.
San Jose: 30 days, No. 20 nationally – off five days in a year and two days below average.
By the way, units in Columbia, South Carolina, and Virginia Beach, Virginia, were quickest to rent in 2025 – 20 days on the market. Tucson, Arizona, was the slowest at 43 days.
Statewide, the typical empty unit was rented in 28 days over the last six months, the 10th-fastest among 34 states tracked. California’s rental speed is three days slower in a year – but one day faster than the seven-year average.
Fastest-to-rent state? Michigan at 22 days. Slowest? Utah at 37 days.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
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