​Good news for renters, sort of

WASHINGTON - U.S. renters are seeing their housing costs rise at a much more manageable pace, as new construction has tempered years of runaway increases in rent.

Real estate data firm Zillow says that median rent rose a seasonally adjusted 2.6 percent in June from a year ago, matching the gains in average hourly wages. Rental costs have decelerated after consistently exceeding earnings growth in previous years, a sign that additional building is giving more options.

The median monthly rent nationwide was $1,409. Annual increases in rent surpassed 9 percent in both the Seattle and Portland, Oregon areas, although it has moderated in markets such as San Francisco, where yearly price growth went from double-digit gains to 7.4 percent.

Prices are rising above the national average in New York City and Los Angeles.

Not all indicators show rent as moderating. The government's consumer price index found that rents had jumped 3.8 percent from a year ago. Shelter accounts for a third of all consumer expenses, according to the index.