The Nation's Fastest-Rising Rents are in California's Central Valley Fresno's skyrocketing housing costs and inadequate supply are putting strain on the city's low-income households. April 13, 2021, 11am PDT | Diana Ionescu | While the housing market in many parts of the country took a hit during the pandemic, Fresno's developers saw a spike in demand, making the Central Valley city "the nation’s hottest housing market." Since 2017, Fresno has seen the country's largest rent increases, reports Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times. "California’s fifth-biggest city, it’s an agricultural powerhouse on the doorstep of Yosemite National Park but often is thought of as a highway rest stop midway between Los Angeles and the Bay Area."