A new study has found that a handful of US metros offer renters a much higher quality of life.
According to RentCafe’s “Best Cities for Renters to Live in 2024” report earlier this month, a number of Sun Belt cities are significantly better for renters.
Charleston, South Carolina has won, for the second year in a row, the gold medal in this regard – followed by Atlanta and, in third place, Sarasota, Florida.
To determine the winners of its annual Best City Analysis, RentCafe considered 150 U.S. cities based on 20 metrics that fall into three categories: Cost of living and housing (average apartment size, occupancy rate, share of new apartments, etc.); local economy (unemployment rate, job growth); and quality of life (average air quality, average school quality).
The South outperformed all other regions overall, offering “options that meet nearly every renter’s preferences,” the report said.
Charleston in particular offers a cost of living below the national average, abundant career opportunities and a booming tourism industry.
If you look specifically in the western US, the cities of Scottsdale and nearby Gilbert, Arizona; Boise, Idaho; and Denver Colorado took the cake for the best urban centers in the area. Thriving local economies and reasonable living and housing costs helped set these areas apart.
For the Midwest, Rochester Minnesota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Minneapolis came out on top.
In the Northeast, many cities rank near the bottom of RentCafe’s list, with New York City’s Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan near dead last in the overall ranking thanks to their high occupancy rates, small apartment sizes, and exorbitant costs. of living. (Newark, New Jersey received the official title of dead last.)
Stamford, Connecticut, and Boston, meanwhile, didn’t fare so badly, ranking 10th and 11th, respectively, and notably boasting “large apartment stocks in prime locations, giving renters the advantage of a picturesque setting,” noted RentCafe.
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