The cost of convenience: DC Metro proximity impacts office asking rents independent of building class

From Metropolitan to Metro DC, office tenants are moving towards the rails. Offices across asset classes are experiencing increased tenant demand and driving up asking rates. In Q2 2025, asking prices at on-Metro offices (<1/4 mile & <1/2 mile from a station) were 25.4% higher than off-Metro offices. Since Q3 2021, asking rents across all four Metro rail distance quadrants have increased.

Office properties located on-Metro experienced an average rent increase of $3.05 per square foot during this four-year period. The average price difference between each of the four subsets of offices is an increase of 11.7%, with price increasing as distance to rail diminishes. Despite large differences in quality of offices, proximity to Metro is a driver of tenant demand regardless of building classification.