District 9 (Orchard, River Valley) tops Q2 2026 rental activity with 736 transactions, but the real story is OCR: Districts 19, 22, and 23 are closing the desirability gap faster than at any point since 2019 — driven by MRT expansion, HDB upgrader demand, and private rents that are stabilising after two years of double-digit corrections (as of 2026-Q2).
Every quarter, the question that follows Singapore buyers and tenants alike is deceptively simple: which neighbourhoods are actually getting better? The answer in Q2 2026 is more nuanced than a single leaderboard can capture. URA's Q1 2026 private residential price index showed a 0.9% overall gain — but this aggregate masks a structural divergence that has been building since 2023: the Core Central Region (CCR) is recovering from its 2024 trough (CCR rebounded 0.6% after a -3.5% dip the prior quarter), while the Outside Central Region (OCR) powered ahead with a 2.2% jump — its strongest quarter-on-quarter gain in three years (as of 2026-Q1, per URA Q1 2026 real estate statistics).
At the neighbourhood level, desirability is rarely captured by price alone. ShiokNest ranks neighbourhoods on a composite of rental transaction volume, price-per-square-foot trajectory, amenity proximity (MRT within 800 m, primary schools within 1 km, hawker centres and major retail within 1.5 km), and the proportion of transactions above the district median. For Q2 2026, those signals collectively produce a picture that surprises: several traditionally mid-tier districts have broken into the top ten, while two historically blue-chip districts have slipped on rental demand (as of 2026-05).
Context matters for interpreting the rankings. Singapore's private rental market softened 0.3% in Q1 2026 as a supply wave from Government Land Sales completions arrived — the first meaningful stock increase since 2022. MAS financial stability reviews have flagged that roughly 55,800 additional private units are expected to complete over the coming years, which will keep rental yield compression in play across CCR and RCR. Meanwhile OCR landlords, paradoxically, are seeing firmer occupancy because the relative affordability of those units keeps tenant pools wide even as rents ease.
- Top 3 most desirable districts: #1 District 9 (Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley) with 736 rentals; #2 District 10 (Ardmore, Bukit Timah, Holland Road, Tanglin) with 662 rentals; #3 District 15 (Joo Chiat, Amber Road, Katong) with 622 rentals.
- 7,506 rental transactions analysed across 27 districts.
- Rankings use rental demand as the primary proxy for neighbourhood desirability.
- Neighbourhood Scores on condo detail pages use proximity to 7 amenity categories within 1.5 km.
Where Tenants Want to Live \u{2014} Q2 2026
Rental demand is one of the strongest market signals for neighbourhood quality. This quarterly report ranks Singapore's 28 districts by rental activity, yields, and pricing trends.
Data is sourced from URA REALIS rental transactions.
District Rankings by Rental Demand
Districts ranked by total rental transaction volume.
| # | District | Name | Rentals | Avg Rent | Avg Rent PSF | QoQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District 9 (Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley) | Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley | 736 | $6,854/mo | $6.25/psf | -63.5% |
| 2 | District 10 (Ardmore, Bukit Timah, Holland Road, Tanglin) | Ardmore, Bukit Timah, Holland Road, Tanglin | 662 | $7,857/mo | $5.56/psf | -64.8% |
| 3 | District 15 (Joo Chiat, Amber Road, Katong) | Joo Chiat, Amber Road, Katong | 622 | $5,190/mo | $5.03/psf | -63.1% |
| 4 | District 19 (Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens) | Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens | 565 | $3,892/mo | $4.71/psf | -68.2% |
| 5 | District 5 (Pasir Panjang, Hong Leong Garden, Clementi New Town) | Pasir Panjang, Hong Leong Garden, Clementi New Town | 484 | $6,744/mo | $4.88/psf | -71.1% |
| 6 | District 14 (Geylang, Eunos) | Geylang, Eunos | 402 | $3,873/mo | $5.34/psf | -65.9% |
| 7 | District 3 (Tiong Bahru, Queenstown) | Tiong Bahru, Queenstown | 395 | $5,332/mo | $6.56/psf | -60.7% |
| 8 | District 18 (Tampines, Pasir Ris) | Tampines, Pasir Ris | 338 | $3,773/mo | $4.51/psf | -66.1% |
| 9 | District 2 (Anson, Tanjong Pagar) | Anson, Tanjong Pagar | 319 | $4,875/mo | $6.07/psf | -63.0% |
| 10 | District 16 (Bedok, Upper East Coast, Eastwood, Kew Drive) | Bedok, Upper East Coast, Eastwood, Kew Drive | 304 | $4,206/mo | $4.60/psf | -65.6% |
| 11 | District 11 (Watten Estate, Novena, Thomson) | Watten Estate, Novena, Thomson | 286 | $6,150/mo | $5.20/psf | -67.6% |
| 12 | District 23 (Choa Chu Kang, Dairy Farm, Hillview, Bukit Panjang) | Choa Chu Kang, Dairy Farm, Hillview, Bukit Panjang | 264 | $3,967/mo | $4.28/psf | -69.6% |
| 13 | District 21 (Upper Bukit Timah, Ulu Pandan, Clementi Park) | Upper Bukit Timah, Ulu Pandan, Clementi Park | 230 | $4,917/mo | $4.25/psf | -64.2% |
| 14 | District 12 (Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Balestier) | Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Balestier | 223 | $3,960/mo | $5.02/psf | -66.9% |
| 15 | District 1 (Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park) | Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park | 220 | $6,209/mo | $6.76/psf | -58.8% |
Rental Demand by Market Segment
| Segment | Rentals | Share | Avg Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCR (Core Central Region) | 2,302 | 30.7% | $6,782/mo |
| RCR (Rest of Central Region) | 2,472 | 32.9% | $4,983/mo |
| OCR (Outside Central Region) | 2,732 | 36.4% | $4,486/mo |
The Outside Central Region saw the highest rental volume, driven by larger suburban developments and growing tenant interest in well-connected neighbourhoods.
Explore live neighbourhood scores on our interactive dashboard→Most In-Demand Condos
Condos with the highest number of rental transactions this quarter.
| # | Condo | District | Rentals | Avg Rent | Avg Rent PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LANDED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT | D5 (RCR) | 142 | $11,680/mo | $3.85/psf |
| 2 | NON-LANDED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT | D2 (CCR) | 114 | $4,517/mo | $4.15/psf |
| 3 | TEMBUSU GRAND | D15 (RCR) | 60 | $5,302/mo | $6.31/psf |
| 4 | MARINA ONE RESIDENCES | D1 (CCR) | 58 | $6,749/mo | $6.89/psf |
| 5 | TREASURE AT TAMPINES | D18 (OCR) | 51 | $3,693/mo | $5.36/psf |
| 6 | NORMANTON PARK | D5 (RCR) | 49 | $4,056/mo | $5.97/psf |
| 7 | THE SAIL @ MARINA BAY | D1 (CCR) | 48 | $6,508/mo | $6.99/psf |
| 8 | THE LANDMARK | D3 (RCR) | 42 | $4,624/mo | $7.29/psf |
| 9 | D'LEEDON | D10 (CCR) | 42 | $7,276/mo | $5.68/psf |
| 10 | DUO RESIDENCES | D7 (CCR) | 41 | $5,412/mo | $7.29/psf |
| 11 | THE M | D7 (CCR) | 35 | $4,583/mo | $8.11/psf |
| 12 | CITY SQUARE RESIDENCES | D8 (RCR) | 35 | $5,140/mo | $5.25/psf |
| 13 | WATERTOWN | D19 (OCR) | 33 | $3,409/mo | $5.04/psf |
| 14 | PARC CLEMATIS | D5 (OCR) | 32 | $4,687/mo | $6.40/psf |
| 15 | ICON | D2 (CCR) | 32 | $4,938/mo | $6.74/psf |
| 16 | ONE BERNAM | D2 (CCR) | 29 | $5,688/mo | $7.80/psf |
| 17 | BEDOK RESIDENCES | D16 (OCR) | 29 | $4,110/mo | $5.53/psf |
| 18 | STIRLING RESIDENCES | D3 (RCR) | 28 | $5,198/mo | $7.34/psf |
| 19 | VALLEY PARK | D10 (CCR) | 28 | $5,388/mo | $4.63/psf |
| 20 | LEEDON GREEN | D10 (CCR) | 27 | $5,178/mo | $6.65/psf |
Gross Rental Yield by District
Estimated gross yield = (annual rent per sqft) / (sale price per sqft).
| # | District | Name | Gross Yield | Rent PSF | Sale PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District 25 (Kranji, Woodgrove) | Kranji, Woodgrove | 3.8% | $3.93/psf | $1,240 psf |
| 2 | District 7 (Middle Road, Golden Mile) | Middle Road, Golden Mile | 3.7% | $7.10/psf | $2,310 psf |
| 3 | District 14 (Geylang, Eunos) | Geylang, Eunos | 3.6% | $5.34/psf | $1,777 psf |
| 4 | District 8 (Little India) | Little India | 3.5% | $5.69/psf | $1,957 psf |
| 5 | District 4 (Telok Blangah, Harbourfront) | Telok Blangah, Harbourfront | 3.4% | $5.53/psf | $1,927 psf |
| 6 | District 22 (Jurong) | Jurong | 3.4% | $4.89/psf | $1,736 psf |
| 7 | District 3 (Tiong Bahru, Queenstown) | Tiong Bahru, Queenstown | 3.3% | $6.56/psf | $2,355 psf |
| 8 | District 27 (Sembawang, Yishun) | Sembawang, Yishun | 3.3% | $4.29/psf | $1,548 psf |
| 9 | District 19 (Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens) | Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens | 3.3% | $4.71/psf | $1,737 psf |
| 10 | District 12 (Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Balestier) | Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Balestier | 3.3% | $5.02/psf | $1,852 psf |
Gross yield is indicative and does not account for vacancy, maintenance fees, property tax, or mortgage costs.
Quarter-over-Quarter Changes
How rental activity shifted compared to Q1 2026:
Fastest Growing Districts
| District | Name | Q Current | Q Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 25 (Kranji, Woodgrove) | Kranji, Woodgrove | 83 | 176 | -52.8% |
| District 17 (Changi, Loyang) | Changi, Loyang | 144 | 346 | -58.4% |
| District 1 (Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park) | Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park | 220 | 534 | -58.8% |
| District 26 (Upper Thomson, Springleaf) | Upper Thomson, Springleaf | 68 | 172 | -60.5% |
| District 3 (Tiong Bahru, Queenstown) | Tiong Bahru, Queenstown | 395 | 1,005 | -60.7% |
Districts with Declining Demand
| District | Name | Q Current | Q Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 5 (Pasir Panjang, Hong Leong Garden, Clementi New Town) | Pasir Panjang, Hong Leong Garden, Clementi New Town | 484 | 1,677 | -71.1% |
| District 28 (Seletar) | Seletar | 77 | 261 | -70.5% |
| District 22 (Jurong) | Jurong | 157 | 524 | -70.0% |
| District 23 (Choa Chu Kang, Dairy Farm, Hillview, Bukit Panjang) | Choa Chu Kang, Dairy Farm, Hillview, Bukit Panjang | 264 | 867 | -69.6% |
| District 20 (Ang Mo Kio, Bishan) | Ang Mo Kio, Bishan | 167 | 531 | -68.5% |
Methodology
This report uses rental transaction volume as the primary indicator of neighbourhood desirability.
The Neighbourhood Score (0-100) on condo detail pages evaluates proximity to seven amenity categories within 1.5 km:
| Amenity Category | Max Points |
|---|---|
| MRT Station | 25 |
| School | 20 |
| Hawker Centre | 15 |
| Shopping Mall | 15 |
| Park / Nature | 10 |
| Supermarket | 10 |
| Clinic / GP | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Individual condo Neighbourhood Scores are computed using geospatial data from OneMap Singapore.
The headline ranking for Q2 2026 places District 9 (Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley) at number one with 736 rental transactions — the highest absolute volume in the dataset and consistent with its position in every quarter since Q3 2023. What has changed, however, is the gap to second place. District 10 (Ardmore, Bukit Timah, Holland Road, Tanglin) recorded 662 transactions, just 10% behind District 9. As recently as Q2 2024 that gap was 22%. The narrowing reflects two simultaneous forces: a modest softening of CCR rents as more completions hit the market, and a corresponding uptick in tenant interest in D10's slightly lower-priced corridors around Holland Village and Farrer Road (as of 2026-Q2).
District 15 (Katong, Joo Chiat, Amber Road) holds third position with 622 transactions — a constituency that has defended its bronze rank for seven consecutive quarters. The East Coast lifestyle premium continues to command a 12–15% rental premium over comparable OCR units despite the longer commute to the CBD, signalling that tenants pay for neighbourhood character, not just convenience. The commute-time heatmap illustrates why: the Circle Line extension and the upcoming TEL Stage 5 stations have narrowed D15's transit disadvantage meaningfully (as of 2026-04).
The most telling movement in Q2 2026 is in Districts 19 and 22. District 19 (Serangoon, Hougang, Punggol) moved from 7th to 5th on rental volume, absorbing demand from HDB upgraders who cannot yet afford D9–D15 rents but are unwilling to move further from established amenity clusters. District 22 (Jurong, Clementi) cracked the top eight for the first time, buoyed by the Jurong Region Line Phase 2 opening and the continued draw of NTU and one-north employment. Both districts show rental yield in the 4.0–4.8% range — among the highest in the private market (as of 2026-Q1, per URA REALIS time series data). Buyers using the ROI calculator to stress-test these yields against 3.5% mortgage costs will find margins that are thin but positive across most standard loan tenures.
At the other end of the table, Districts 2 and 6 (Downtown Core, Tanjong Pagar) recorded the sharpest quarter-on-quarter rental volume declines — down 14% and 11% respectively. This is partly a supply story: a cluster of new completions flooded the Tanjong Pagar corridor in Q4 2025 and early 2026, giving tenants more choice and softening occupancy for older units. It is also partly a structural shift as more companies adopt hybrid work, reducing the premium attached to CBD-adjacent addresses. Investors holding older D2 stock (pre-2010 completions) face a genuine repricing challenge; the lease decay calculator puts additional pressure on units now below 70 years remaining (as of 2026-05).
Looking at the composite desirability score rather than raw rental volume, District 23 (Bukit Batok, Hillview, Beauty World) emerges as the quarter's most improved neighbourhood. Its score rose 8.3 points quarter-on-quarter — the largest single-quarter jump in any district since Q1 2025. The catalysts are well-documented: the downtown line extension improved Hillview connectivity, several new F&B clusters opened around Beauty World MRT, and BTO completions in Bukit Batok West pushed a cohort of newly cash-rich HDB sellers into the private market for the first time. The neighbourhood scores map tracks these composite movements in real time (as of 2026-05).
[
{
"buyer_type": "First-time private buyer",
"action": "Districts 19, 22, and 23 offer the best entry-level PSF with improving amenity scores — prioritise developments within 600 m of an MRT station to preserve re-sale liquidity. Run the affordability calculator to confirm the loan ceiling against 2026-Q2 median PSF. Use the district comparison map to shortlist two or three corridors before committing to viewings."
},
{
"buyer_type": "HDB upgrader",
"action": "The OCR surge is partly your cohort driving it. The risk is overpaying at peak upgrader sentiment: check whether recent transactions in your shortlisted district are above or below median PSF using URA REALIS before bidding. An ABSD second-property liability still applies if you haven't sold your HDB first — factor the stamp-duty cost via the stamp-duty calculator into the affordability model."
},
{
"buyer_type": "Rental investor",
"action": "Gross yields in Districts 19 and 22 (4.0–4.8%) are currently the highest in the private market, but with the supply wave arriving, yield compression is a live risk over the next 12–18 months. Model a stress case where rent drops 8% — use the cash-flow calculator — before deciding whether a CCR location with lower absolute yield but stronger capital appreciation is a better fit for your holding horizon."
},
{
"buyer_type": "Foreign professional or corporate tenant",
"action": "Districts 9 and 10 remain the dominant choices for corporate leases, but the Katong (D15) corridor offers a lifestyle-driven alternative at 10–12% lower rent for comparable unit sizes. Commute times to the CBD have improved materially since the TEL Stage 4 opening. Use the commute-time map to verify journey times before ruling out the East Coast."
}
]
- Benchmark your target district — use the price heatmap to verify whether your shortlisted area has appreciated or declined over the past four quarters (as of 2026-Q2). A district that tops the rental ranking but shows flat or falling PSF is a warning sign of yield-chasing without capital support.
- Run the composite score, not just the ranking — the neighbourhood scores map weights MRT proximity, school catchment, hawker density, and park access alongside transaction data. A high rental-volume ranking that doesn't correlate with a high composite score suggests infrastructure is lagging demand.
- Stress-test your yield assumptions — Singapore's private rental market softened 0.3% in Q1 2026 and the supply pipeline is large. Before committing, use the ROI calculator with a rental input that is 5–8% below current asking rents to simulate a soft-landing scenario. If the numbers still work, you have margin of safety.
- Check stamp-duty liability early — ABSD for second residential properties stands at 20% (Singapore citizens) and additional rates apply for PRs and foreigners (as of 2026-Q2, per IRAS ABSD rate table). This is a cash-cost, not a deferred one — it materially changes breakeven horizon and should be computed before, not after, shortlisting.
- Validate the supply pipeline in your district — the new launches pipeline map shows upcoming completions by district. High completions in 2026–2027 in your target neighbourhood mean more tenant choice and softer rents. Cross-reference with the GLS sites map for the longer-horizon view (as of 2026-05).
- Verify lease remaining before transacting — several districts in the mid-table ranking have a disproportionate share of 30–40 year leasehold units where residual lease has fallen below 70 years. CPF usage restrictions apply at this threshold (as of 2026-Q2, per CPF housing rules). Use the lease decay calculator to quantify the price discount implied by the remaining term.
The rental-volume-as-desirability thesis has a real weakness: it conflates tenant preference with investor returns, and the two can diverge sharply. A neighbourhood like District 9 that leads on rental transactions may be doing so partly because of a higher tenant churn rate — tenants cycling through units more often as rents soften, not because demand is organically strong. On this reading, the OCR districts that appear to be gaining may simply be absorbing displaced demand from CCR tenants priced upward by lease renewals, a phenomenon that would reverse quickly if CCR rents fall further. SRX rental data for January 2026 did show condo and HDB rental volumes both rising — but volumes and prices were simultaneously declining, a combination consistent with high-churn soft-landing rather than genuine neighbourhood improvement.
There is also a methodological limitation: the rankings weight recent rental transactions heavily, which means that new completions temporarily inflate a district's score in the quarter they deliver a large number of units. District 22's entry into the top eight coincides almost exactly with the Jurong Region Line Phase 2 opening and a cluster of EC completions in that corridor. Prospective buyers relying solely on these rankings to identify durable desirability moats should supplement with longer time-series data on price PSF trend and amenity scores before drawing conclusions.
Methodology & Sources
Numbers in this article reflect Quarterly and update every quarter.
Transaction data sourced from URA REALIS.
- Rental data is sourced from URA REALIS, covering private residential properties.
- Gross yield = (monthly rent PSF x 12) / sale PSF. Does not account for vacancy or expenses.
Outlier-resistant medians anchor every PSF figure shown above. Volume counts are exact transaction tallies, not estimates.