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ities across the country are experiencing rising rents and shortages of affordable housing, similar to what Portland is going through. The trend, which also reaches other countries, is at least partly the result of an economic and social shift as people seek to live in urban neighborhoods, whether to reduce transportation costs or enjoy access to food and culture.

Portland, which also has become known as a desirable destination for hipsters, coffee lovers, young families, beer drinkers, retirees and others, has been on the leading edge of the trend in the U.S., in terms of the pace of increase in rent prices. In May, Portland-area rents had risen 17.4 percent year over year, the second-largest jump of the country’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, according to the national online real estate firm Zillow.

Here is a look at how the city of Portland compared with other U.S. cities in August, based on the most recent Zillow data for the average rent for all rental units and the percent increase from August 2014.

San Francisco, $4,310, 13.9 percent

Boston, $2,495, 0.4 percent

New York City, $2,202, 1.3 percent

Denver, $1,908, 10.5 percent

Austin, Texas, $1,885, 6.7 percent

Portland, Oregon, $1,771, 15 percent

South Portland, Maine, $1,671, 11.1 percent

PORTLAND, $1,666, 11.4 percent

Manchester, New Hampshire, $1,665, 14.7 percent

Brunswick, Maine, $1,596, 2.5 percent

Westbrook, Maine, $1,546, 7.2 percent

New Haven, Connecticut, $1,527, 4.8 percent

New Orleans, $1,526, 2.6 percent

Providence, Rhode Island, $1,448, 6.5 percent

Nashville, Tennessee, $1,437, 9.8 percent

Atlanta, $1,379, 12.5 percent

Springfield, Massachusetts, $1,344, 10.8 percent

Baltimore, $1,322, 2.6 percent

Philadelphia, $1,194, 2.3 percent

Richmond, Virginia, $1,157, 4.9 percent

Rochester, New York, $981, 7.9 percent