Rent prices fell in September by 2% from the month before, the first decline in six months, the Washington Examiner reports.

The national median rent is now $2,011, down by $40, or 2%, from the month prior, according to a Rent.com report.

“Looking forward, if patterns over the last year hold, the monthly drop in rent could indicate a return to normal seasonal price changes that eluded the market during the pandemic,” the report said.

Higher rents have been a main driver of inflation in the past two years, particularly as rent comprises 7% of the consumer price index. September’s CPI remained elevated at 3.7%, the same level as the month prior and up from its lowest level of 3% in June.

Rents are the most affordable in the Midwest, where the median monthly rent is $1,435.

“Rents slid in the West, as has been the case for several months, dropping 1.61% from September 2022,” the report said. “The South also saw yearly rent declines, albeit lower, at nearly one-third of 1%.”

Meanwhile, for those in the market to buy a home, the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan rose to 7.49%, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said on Oct. 5, 2023—the highest in nearly 23 years. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.66%.

New home sales fell 8.7% in August from the month before, to 675,000. Existing home sales fell 0.7% in August from July to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.04 million. Housing starts fell 11.3% in that timeframe, according to a Census Bureau report.