1. Edison-New Brunswick, N.J.

24/7 Wall St.: 6 Cities Where Rents Are Skyrocketing

Change in rent: +15.6 percent
Change in sales price: -4.7 percent
Price drop from peak: -18.2 percent
Job growth, 1 year: +0.69 percent

Job growth in the Edison-New Brunswick metro area has been modest. Nevertheless, rent in the region jumped a full 15.6 percent in 12 months, by far the largest increase in the country. In the past quarter alone, rent increased 4 percent. Meanwhile, home prices actually fell 4.7 percent, the 11th-largest decrease in the country.

(AP Photo)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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Where Rent Is Hi... Online real estate site Trulia has released rental data for the 100 largest housing markets in the country. The report reveals that while home prices have increased slightly in the past year, rent prices have increased more than 5 percent in the 12 months ending April 31, 2012.

In six of the 100 largest U.S. housing markets, asking rent has increased by 10 percent or more. 24/7 Wall St. examined these six cities, located all over the country, to determine why rents have increased so much there.

(AP Photo)

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The States With The Most Homes In Foreclosure
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Nine Countries Where Unemployment Does Not Exist

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Colorado Spri... Change in rent: +10.2 percent
Change in sales price: +4.3 percent
Price drop from peak: -11 percent
Job growth, 1 year: +0.53 percent

Colorado Springs has experienced only a modest increase in jobs in the past year, yet rent in the region increased 10.2 percent in the 12 months ending April 31 — the sixth-largest increase among the 100 metropolitan areas the agency examines. Home prices also increased over the same period by 4.3 percent. According to Realtor.com, the number of listings in the area fell more than 25 percent in the past year, perhaps partly explaining the price increase.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
The States With The Most Homes In Foreclosure
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Nine Countries Where Unemployment Does Not Exist

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
5. Indianapolis,... Change in rent: +11.1 percent
Change in sales price: +1.7 percent
Price drop from peak: -6.6 percent
Job growth, 1 year: +1.49 percent

Of the 100 metro regions examined by Trulia, home prices in Indianapolis had the second-smallest decline during the recession, losing just 6.6 percent of total value. In the past year, job growth was roughly 1.5 percent, above average for the cities on the list. Compared to rents, asking home prices increased to a much lesser extent of just 1.7 percent, the 32nd-largest rise among the cities examined. According to Realtor.com, list prices as of April 31 were among the lowest in the U.S.

(iStock Photo)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
The States With The Most Homes In Foreclosure
The Ten Most And Least Affordable Cities To Buy A Home
Nine Countries Where Unemployment Does Not Exist

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Warren-Troy-F... Change in rent: +11.8 percent
Change in sales price: +6.9 percent
Price drop from peak: -35.5 percent
Job growth, 1 year: +2.53 percent

During the recession, home prices in the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills area of Michigan fell 35.5 percent, among the biggest drops in the country. Recently, however, asking home prices in the region, which is part of suburban Detroit, have recovered rapidly, up 6.9 percent in the past year alone. Compared to homes, however, rent prices have truly skyrocketed in the past year. In the last quarter alone, rent went up 4.5 percent. In the past 12 months, rents have gone up 11.8 percent. The likely reason for this increase is the 2.5 percent growth in employment in the area, the 10th-highest jump in the U.S.

(iStock Photo)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
The States With The Most Homes In Foreclosure
The Ten Most And Least Affordable Cities To Buy A Home
Nine Countries Where Unemployment Does Not Exist

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. Miami, Fla. Change in rent: +12.3 percent
Change in sales price: +16.1 percent
Price drop from peak: -45.5 percent
Job growth, 1 year: +2.34 percent

Among the real estate markets to have the largest increases in rent in the past year, no region was more severely affected by the recession. Home prices in the area fell 45.5 percent from peak, the 14th-biggest decline in the country. However, the situation has begun to turn around in the area. Home prices increased 16.1 percent in the past year, and rents rose an estimated 12.3 percent during that time. Job growth is strong in the area at 2.34 percent.

(iStock Photo)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
The States With The Most Homes In Foreclosure
The Ten Most And Least Affordable Cities To Buy A Home
Nine Countries Where Unemployment Does Not Exist

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. San Francisco... Change in rent: +13.2
Change in sales price: -0.5 percent
Price drop from peak: -22.1 percent
Job growth, 1 year: +2.92 percent

The increasing popularity of the San Francisco real estate market is extremely lopsided. List prices for homes actually fell 0.5 percent in the past 12 months. Meanwhile, rent prices increased 13.2 percent — the second-largest increase in the country. The number of employed people in the city grew just shy of 3 percent in the past year, the seventh-highest rate in the country.

(AP Photo)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
The States With The Most Homes In Foreclosure
The Ten Most And Least Affordable Cities To Buy A Home
Nine Countries Where Unemployment Does Not Exist

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. Edison-New Br... Change in rent: +15.6 percent
Change in sales price: -4.7 percent
Price drop from peak: -18.2 percent
Job growth, 1 year: +0.69 percent

Job growth in the Edison-New Brunswick metro area has been modest. Nevertheless, rent in the region jumped a full 15.6 percent in 12 months, by far the largest increase in the country. In the past quarter alone, rent increased 4 percent. Meanwhile, home prices actually fell 4.7 percent, the 11th-largest decrease in the country.

(AP Photo)

More From 24/7 Wall Street:
The States With The Most Homes In Foreclosure
The Ten Most And Least Affordable Cities To Buy A Home
Nine Countries Where Unemployment Does Not Exist

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
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