Metro Denver rents increased 13.1 percent in the last year, compared with 6.3 percent nationwide, according to the Trulia Price Monitor and the Trulia Rent Monitor released Tuesday.

The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in metro Denver in August was $1,550, according to Trulia.

Metro Denver was one of five of the largest 25 rental markets in the U.S. where rents rose more than 10 percent year-over-year. In 20 of the markets, median rents were increasing more rapidly in August than they were in May.

Denver rents zoomed, but prices rose even faster in northern California, where rents increased 16.5 percent in San Jose; 14.9 percent in Sacramento; 14.5 percent in San Francisco; and 14.4 percent in Oakland.

Median rent for a two-bedroom home was the cheapest in St. Louis at $950 followed by Las Vegas at $1,000.

The asking price for a home in Denver metro increased 9.4 percent year-over-year, compared with an average of 7.8 percent in the 100 largest metro areas.

The report said that seven of the 10 metro areas with the largest year-over-year price increases in homes are in the South, led by Miami and Birmingham, Ala., which both had a 15.6 percent increase in asking price for the year.

Close behind were Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla. at 14.8 percent; West Palm Beach, 14.5 percent; Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif. at 13.8 percent, and Oakland at 12.4 percent.

Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939, hpankratz@denverpost.com or twitter.com/howardpankratz