No. 15 Biggest Rent Hike: Albuquerque, N.M.

Annual increase: 6.3%
Average monthly rent: $751
Vacancy rate: 5.2% (6.9% in 2009)
Average concession: -2%

Albuquerque's rental market has been more stable than most: Rent levels increased 6.3 percent in 2010 after dropping by only 1.4 percent in 2009 (vs. a 5.9 percent national decrease). Major employers in the area include Kirtland Air Force Base, University of New Mexico, and Sandia National Laboratories. Unemployment in Albuquerque rose to about 8.8 percent in 2010 from 7.4 percent in 2009, show estimates based on BLS preliminary data.