Skip to main content

Study: Los Angeles has the highest rent premium for in-unit washers and dryers

In some cities, having an in-unit washer or dryer is a luxury for renters. Now, there are statistics that show what city slickers are really paying for the convenience of doing laundry at home.

Trulia, the online real estate service, released data on June 16 that revealed where renters pay the most for an in-unit washer and dryer. Los Angeles topped the list with people paying an average rent premium of $325. Boston was second place ($255), while San Francisco came close behind in third ($245).

Recommended Videos

In the 13 cities examined by Trulia, the average rent premium was 10 percent. Philadelphia had the highest premium at 20 percent, totaling $211 in extra cash on top of the rent (which averages $1200 per month in the birthplace of the Constitution).

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“Sprawled out metros such as Philadelphia and Los Angeles likely have a greater washer/ dryer premium, because the distance from most apartments to the nearest Laundromats will be farther away,” wrote Mark Uh, data scientist for Trulia. “Metros where the cost of goods and living is more expensive (and presumably laundry services are more expensive) such as New York, San Francisco, and Boston also have high premiums.”

However, Philadelphia was near the top of the list of cities in terms of the percentage of multifamily rentals with a washer and dryer (48 percent). On this metric, it came in third place behind Chicago (56 percent) and Washington (58 percent), which nabbed first place.

So what happens when you don’t have an in-unit washer or dryer? Trulia found that if you choose to patronize a laundry service, the cost can quickly add up. Wash-and-folds typically cost $1 per pound of laundry. If you do 10 pounds of laundry per week, this could add $40 to your monthly expenses.

The bottom line is that keeping your clothes clean can be downright expensive, especially if you live in a bustling hub. Maybe newer energy-saving washers and dryers will eventually curb the cost of this burdensome chore.

Krystle Vermes
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Krystle Vermes is a professional writer, blogger and podcaster with a background in both online and print journalism. Her…
Eve reveals its first smart light switch with dimmer functionality
Eve Dimmer Switch installed on a wall.

Eve has launched a variety of smart home gadgets over the years, including a smart plug, energy strip, and indoor camera. The company is now planning to launch its first smart light switch with dimmer functionality in March -- and with support for Matter, voice commands, and remote access, it’s looking like a solid choice for discerning shoppers.

The Eve Dimmer Switch will be one of the most expensive options on the market, carrying a price tag of $50. However, you’re getting a lot of great features for your investment. This includes Matter-over-Thread support, a premium button/rocker dimmer design for enhanced control, and the ability to sync it with Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa to unlock voice commands. You’re also getting the ability to dim your lights, a feature missing from many other smart switches.

Read more
The Anker Solix F3800 Plus is a portable power station with enough juice to run your entire home
Anker Solix F3800 Plus in a home

After launching the Solix F3800 in 2024, Anker is back this year with the enhanced Solix F3800 Plus. Built with enough power to run all the electronics and appliances in your entire home, it looks like the ideal company to have around during emergencies and outages.

Featuring a 6,000-watt AC output to run large appliances such as washers, dryers, and air conditioners, it’ll keep your home running as intended even when the grid is unavailable. The unit offers a capacity of 3,840 watt-hours, though it can be expanded by attaching up to 12 optional battery packs for a staggering maximum capacity of 53,760 watt-hours. So no matter how much energy you need, you can scale up your power station to handle all sorts of equipment.

Read more
A smarter Alexa? Sign me up
Amazon Echo Show 8 on tabletop from Best Buy for Prime Big Deal Days

To say that folks have misgivings about AI is probably an understatement. From long-term fears over what the technology might do as it acquires more power and more capability, to the immediate concerns of those in creative roles who see themselves as unpaid trainers of AI models (and their first professional victims), there is no shortage of legitimate criticisms. And as someone who writes words for a living, I’m painfully and frighteningly aware that AI represents a clear and present danger to my income.

But if my smart speakers can finally turn into something more useful than a voice-activated egg timer -- as Amazon has promised with its new AI-driven Alexa+ -- I consider that a silver lining to the oncoming AI apocalypse, not something to be avoided.
From gimmick to magic
Like a lot of you, I was less than blown away by Siri when Apple debuted its voice assistant on the iPhone 4S. There was a novelty to it, for sure, and I know some folks who, to this day get genuine utility from being able to create reminders, respond to text messages, and place calls with their voice. But as someone who seldom drives (and who would rather die than be overheard barking commands into their phone in public), Siri felt like a gimmick.

Read more