Cities with the Most Renters (2024)

From Atlanta to Yonkers, all of America’s cities are home to both renters and homeowners. Some, however, are home to significantly more renters than the rest.Cities with the Most Renters (1)

Homeownership rates in America have fallen by two percent since 2000, according to the U.S. Census and American Community Survey. Young Americans are the primary cause of falling homeownership rates. In fact, homeownership rates dropped six percent among Americans aged 20-34 in the same time period. Rather than purchasing a home, a growing number have opted to continue renting rather than purchase a ‘starter home’ either by choice or out of financial necessity.

More and more young people with an undergraduate degree or higher have left suburban or rural areas to work in cities. The population of major cities like Boston or Miami, for example, has increased by twelve and seventeen percent since 2010, respectively. This growth skews disproportionately toward residents over age 25 with a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree. This influx of educated and financially successful residents leads to rising real estate prices in America’s largest metropolitan areas. As a result, renting becomes the more desirable—or only—option for many. In fact, a recent Pew Research Center survey on American renters reports that 72 percent of renters would like to purchase a home at some point, while 65 percent currently rent as a result of circ*mstances. Many rent for financial reasons, instead of by choice.

To identify the top twenty cities with the highest share of renters, the data science and research team at Insurify referred to statistics published by City-Data.

Cities with the Most Renters (2)

Table of contentsCities with the Most Renters (3)

  • Insights
  • Methodology
  • U.S. Cities with the most Renters

Insights

  • Population density and rates of renters. Given research demonstrating a correlation between population density and higher real estate prices relative to median household income, it stands to reason that the cities with the most renters would also be some of the most densely populated metropolitan areas in the United States. In fact, nine out of the twenty cities with the most renters rank within the top 60 most densely populated, including New York City, San Francisco, and Miami.

  • Regional differences. The twenty cities with the highest proportion of renters are located on both coasts and in the south, while cities from the Mountain States are absent, and only one hails from the Midwest.

  • Cities with the fewest renters. On the other side of the spectrum are cities with the lowest proportion of renters. Centennial CO, North Hempstead NY, and Broken Arrow, OK have the lowest proportion of renters, who make up only 19.7, 23.3, and 23.8 percent of the population, respectively.

US Cities With The Most Renters

1. New Haven, Connecticut - Percentage of renters: 71.4

2. Brooklyn, New York - Percentage of renters: 70.4

3. Miami, Florida - Percentage of renters: 68.7

4. New York, New York -Percentage of renters: 68.0

5. College Station, Texas - Percentage of renters: 67.1

6. Boston, Massachusetts - Percentage of renters: 66.4

7. Glendale, California - Percentage of renters: 65.9

8. Providence, Rhode Island - Percentage of renters: 64.5

9. Orlando, Florida - Percentage of renters: 64.3

10. Inglewood, California - Percentage of renters: 64.3

Methodology

The data and research team at Insurify, a site used to compare home insurance, referred to the latest location-based homeownership statistics released by City-Data. From these statistics, they identified the cities with the lowest proportion of homes occupied by owners, which, consequently, have the highest proportion of renters given that homes unoccupied by their owners are invariably rented out.

Data from the American Community Survey by the United States Census Bureau was used to determine the population of each city in the rankings. For each of the twenty cities in this ranking, researchers at Insurify calculated the approximate number of renters in each city, based on this data and on the percentage of renters in each city.

U.S. Cities with the most Renters

20. Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Percentage of renters: 62.0

  • City population: 297,517

  • Approximate population of renters: 184,461

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19. Rochester, New York

  • Percentage of renters: 62.1

  • City population: 210,358

  • Approximate population of renters: 130,632

18. Athens-Clarke County, Georgia

  • Percentage of renters: 62.2

  • City population: 119,980

  • Approximate population of renters: 74,628

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17. El Cajon, California

  • Percentage of renters: 62.4

  • City population: 102,211

  • Approximate population of renters: 63,780

16. El Monte, California

  • Percentage of renters: 63.4

  • City population: 115,708

  • Approximate population of renters: 73,359

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15. Gainesville, Florida

  • Percentage of renters: 63.8

  • City population: 127,488

  • Approximate population of renters: 81,337

14. Cambridge, Massachusetts

  • Percentage of renters: 63.9

  • City population: 107,289

  • Approximate population of renters: 68,558

13. San Franciso, California

  • Percentage of renters: 64.1

  • City population: 837,442

  • Approximate population of renters: 536,800

12. Los Angeles, California

  • Percentage of renters: 64.1

  • City population: 3,884,307

  • Approximate population of renters: 2,489,841

11. Irving, Texas

  • Percentage of renters: 64.1

  • City population: 228,653

  • Approximate population of renters: 146,567

10. Inglewood, California

  • Percentage of renters: 64.3

  • City population: 111,542

  • Approximate population of renters: 71,722

9. Orlando, Florida

  • Percentage of renters: 64.3

  • City population: 255,483

  • Approximate population of renters: 164,276

8. Providence, Rhode Island

  • Percentage of renters: 64.5

  • City population: 177,994

  • Approximate population of renters: 114,806

7. Glendale, California

  • Percentage of renters: 65.9

  • City population: 196,021

  • Approximate population of renters: 129,178

6. Boston, Massachusetts

  • Percentage of renters: 66.4

  • City population: 645,966

  • Approximate population of renters: 428,921

5. College Station, Texas

  • Percentage of renters: 67.1

  • City population: 100,050

  • Approximate population of renters: 67,134

4. New York, New York

  • Percentage of renters: 68.0

  • City population: 8,405,837

  • Approximate population of renters: 5,715,969

3. Miami, Florida

  • Percentage of renters: 68.7

  • City population: 417,650

  • Approximate population of renters: 286,864

2. Brooklyn, New York

  • Percentage of renters: 70.4

  • City population: 2,538,705

  • Approximate population of renters: 1,787,248

1. New Haven, Connecticut

  • Percentage of renters: 71.4

  • City population: 130,660

  • Approximate population of renters: 93,291

Data Attribution

The information, statistics, and data visualizations on this page are free to use, we just ask that you attribute any full or partial use to Insurify with a link to this page. Thank you!

If you have questions or comments about this article, please contact insights@insurify.com.

Cities with the Most Renters (4)

Insurify InsightsData & Research Team

Insurify’s team of data scientists and content specialists presents Insurify Insights, a series of automotive, home, and health studies focusing on the topics that impact us all. Through expert analysis of over 4 million car insurance applications and an array of top data sources, the Insurify Insights team produces new data-driven articles, trend analyses, regional superlatives, and national rankings every week. See Insurify Insights as featured in Forbes, Fox News, USA Today, NPR, and more.

Cities with the Most Renters (2024)

FAQs

What city has the most renters? ›

Newark, New Jersey, has the most, with more than 79% of residents renting. Three other New Jersey cities were also home to the most renters. Out of the top five, the two other cities were in Connecticut. Of the top 10 cities with the highest percentage of renters, nine out of 10 are in the Northeast.

Where can I live for $500 a month in USA? ›

Without further ado – and in no particular order – here's what $500 per month can get you in ten affordable U.S. cities:
  • Greenville, OH. Listing: Wayne Crossing. ...
  • Wichita, KS. Listing: Eagle Creek. ...
  • Lawton, OK. Listing: Sheridan Square Apartments. ...
  • Amarillo, TX. ...
  • Indianapolis, IN. ...
  • Searcy, AR. ...
  • Shreveport, LA. ...
  • Jackson, MS.
Oct 9, 2020

Which states has the most renters? ›

California had the most renting households with 5.73 million, or 13.6 percent of the nation's 42 million rental homes. Tenants in California make up 44 percent of households in the state, the third-largest share of renters behind. D.C., at 58 percent, and New York at 45 percent.

Which city is most expensive for renters you might be surprised? ›

With a spate of new luxury developments luring tenants from across the Hudson River, Jersey City has made itself the priciest city in the nation.

Where do people rent most? ›

U.S. Cities with the most Renters
  • Providence, Rhode Island. ...
  • Glendale, California. ...
  • Boston, Massachusetts. ...
  • College Station, Texas. ...
  • New York, New York. Percentage of renters: 68.0. ...
  • Miami, Florida. Percentage of renters: 68.7. ...
  • Brooklyn, New York. Percentage of renters: 70.4. ...
  • New Haven, Connecticut. Percentage of renters: 71.4.
Mar 23, 2022

Where is rent growing the fastest? ›

Cities With The fastest Growing 3-Bedroom Home Rent Prices in 2023
  • Santa Barbara, California. ...
  • Rochester, New York. ...
  • Anderson, Indiana. ...
  • Rochester, Minnesota. January 2023: $2,050. ...
  • Kalamazoo, Michigan. January 2023: $1,673. ...
  • Monroe, Louisiana. January 2023: $1,400. ...
  • Greenville, North Carolina. January: $1,500. ...
  • Lawton, Oklahoma.
Feb 17, 2023

Is $1,000 a month livable? ›

Bottom Line. Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.

Where can I live on $1,500 a month in the US? ›

Here's the list of the 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Florida, To see how you can live for $1,500 month, find the full list below.
  • Best Cities to Live on $1,500 or Less a Month (via Mind Your Dollars):
  • Davenport, Iowa. ...
  • Lawton, Oklahoma. ...
  • Tallahassee, Florida. ...
  • El Paso, Texas. ...
  • Lansing, Michigan. ...
  • Fort Wayne, Indiana. ...
  • Odessa, Texas.
Feb 21, 2022

Where can I live for $1000 a month in the US? ›

  • New Bern, N.C. Median rent price: $1,000. ...
  • Rock Hill, S.C. Median rent price: $1,000. ...
  • Tallahassee, Fla. Median rent price: $990. ...
  • Beaumont, Texas. Median rent price: $997.50. ...
  • Winston-Salem, N.C. Median rent price: $945. ...
  • Shreveport, La. Median rent price: $950. ...
  • Las Cruces, N.M. Median rent price: $945. ...
  • Champaign, Ill.
Jul 22, 2016

Where is the cheapest rent in United states? ›

The best cities for affordable rent, summed up
RankCityCost of living (U.S. average=100)
1Little Rock, AR87.70
2Tulsa, OK88.60
3Omaha, NE91.70
4Des Moines, IA92.30
21 more rows
Dec 30, 2022

What state in the US has the cheapest rent? ›

Mississippi

Coming in as the cheapest state to live in in the United States is Mississippi with a cost of living index score of 83.3. It also has the lowest average housing costs in the nation at 33.7% below the national average. The median single family home costs around $140,818.

What is the best state to be a tenant? ›

Full rankings
Median monthly rentMedian annual income
1. North Dakota$853$66,519
2. South Dakota$809$66,143
3. Iowa$845$65,600
4. Kansas$912$64,124
5 more rows

What city has the cheapest rent in the world? ›

Data drawn from an analysis of over 500,000 property listings reveals that Madagascar has the world's cheapest apartment rental. For house-hunters or 'staycationers', the lowest rental price in the country is 1500 Malagasy ariary – or about 60 US cents per month.

What state has the most expensive rent right now? ›

Analysis by Redfin showed prices increased by 14.1% over the year in 2021 and 7.45% in 2022. With real wages falling by 1.3% in the last year there is an intense squeeze on purse-strings. California is no exception and has the highest average rent prices in the country.

What is the most expensive place to live in us? ›

1. Manhattan, New York
  • Overall cost of living: 127.7% above U.S. average.
  • Median household income: $70,663.
  • Average home price: $2,434,977.
  • Average monthly rent: $4,569.
  • Unemployment rate: 4.3%
  • Poverty rate: 17%
  • Cost of a half-gallon of milk: $3.04.
Feb 3, 2023

What age rents the most? ›

In 2020, only ten percent of renters in the United States were 65 years or older, whereas 47 percent were under 30 years old.

Why do rich people rent where they live? ›

So they may rent a place in New York City, London, and San Francisco to live in because it's much cheaper than buying. Since they have cash-flowing real estate and other investments to live off of, they know the difference between a property that is an expense and an income property.

Who owns the most houses in the US? ›

John Malone is the largest private landowner in the United States. Malone made his fortune as a media tycoon, building the company Tele-Communications, Inc, or TCI, and acting as its CEO before selling it to AT&T for $50 billion in 1999.

What city has the highest rent increase in the US? ›

Here are the 10 metros where asking rents are rising fastest.
  • Oklahoma City: +24.1 percent.
  • Pittsburgh: +20 percent.
  • Indianapolis: +17.9 percent.
  • Louisville: +17.5 percent.
  • Nashville: +17 percent.
  • Cincinatti: +16.5 percent.
  • Raleigh: +16.4 percent.
  • New York: +15.4 percent.
Oct 13, 2022

What is best market rent? ›

The highest rent that can reasonably be expected by a landlord in the circ*mstances of a particular case. The term may have a particular meaning, depending on context. For example, a lease may specify what is considered to be best rent on a rent review.

What is the biggest rent website? ›

Best Overall Zillow Rental Manager

Zillow Rental Manager is the best rental listing site overall due to its sheer breadth of data and services. It has the largest inventory, the most site traffic, and offers services that take the landlord from marketing to rent collection.

Is $4000 a month enough to retire on? ›

First, let's look at some statistics to establish a baseline for what a solid retirement looks like: Average monthly retirement income in 2021 for retirees 65 and older was about $4,000 a month, or $48,000 a year; this is a slight decrease from 2020, when it was about $49,000.

Is $600 dollars a week good? ›

That's because this additional payment is keeping many low-income families afloat and is even allowing them to spend a little more than they normally would. By no stretch of the imagination is $600 a week — which works out to about a little more than $30,000 a year — a luxurious income.

Can you survive on $3,000 dollars a month? ›

If you're single and don't have a family to take care of, $3000 is enough to get you through the month comfortably. And, if you keep your expenses to a minimum, you can save a few hundred dollars from your paycheck.

Where can you live for $2 a day? ›

"In Ghana, where 80 percent of the economy is barter and noncash, it's one thing to live on $2 in cash per person per day," Edin says. "What does it mean to live cashless in the world's most advanced capitalist country?"

Where can I retire on $800 a month? ›

Ecuador. If you're looking for a country where you can retire outside the US comfortably with $800 per month and experience one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world, then Ecuador might be for you. The go-to city for US retirees in Ecuador is Cuenca, which also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Where can I retire on $1,300 a month? ›

Panama: A Home Away from Home

You can retire comfortably on $1,300 per month, and it's one of the best countries for quality of life. What's more, English is widely spoken, and you can use your US money anywhere across the country. The country also offers first-rate hospitals, and many of its doctors are US trained.

Where is the cheapest cost of living in the world? ›

Cheapest Countries to Live In
  • Vietnam.
  • South Africa.
  • Ecuador.
  • Costa Rica.
  • Malaysia.
  • Mexico.
  • Indonesia.
  • Bulgaria.

Which country is the safest and cheapest to live? ›

10 of the cheapest and safest places to live in the world
  • Albania.
  • Portugal.
  • Costa Rica.
  • Panama.
  • Mexico.
  • Thailand.
  • Malaysia.
  • Vietnam.

Where can I live on $1100 a month? ›

5 Countries You Can Live For Less Than $1,000 A Month
  • Argentina. The cost of living in Argentina is up to 60% less than in the United States. ...
  • Croatia. Croatia doesn't get enough credit as a budget-friendly destination for expats. ...
  • Grenada. ...
  • Vietnam. ...
  • Zimbabwe.
Mar 24, 2021

Which major US city has the cheapest rent? ›

Major Cities That Have the Cheapest Rent in the U.S.
  • Forth Worth, Texas. Rent for a 2 Bedroom Apartment: $1,560. ...
  • Fresno, California. Rent for a 2 Bedroom Apartment: $1,550. ...
  • Houston, Texas. Rent for a 2 Bedroom Apartment: $1,550. ...
  • Las Vegas, Nevada. ...
  • Jacksonville, Florida. ...
  • Albuquerque, New Mexico. ...
  • San Antonio, Texas. ...
  • Columbus, Ohio.
Apr 28, 2023

What US town has the lowest cost of living? ›

In its report, Niche also ranked the cheapest places to live in the U.S. At the top of the list this year is Brownsville, Texas. Brownsville has been steadily rising in Niche's Lowest Cost of Living ranking over the past few years, placing number six in 2021, number three in 2022 and finally, number one in 2023.

What is the cheapest month to rent? ›

The lowest rental rates are usually found between October and April, particularly right after the December holiday season. Fewer people are interested in moving—the weather's bad, schools are in session, etc. So individuals renting between the months of December and March typically find the best rental bargains.

What state has the best cost of living? ›

States With Lowest Cost of Living

Mississippi is the state with the lowest cost of living in the US, with a cost of living index of 85. This means that the cost of living in Mississippi is 15% lower than the national average. The state has a low cost of housing, groceries, and utilities.

What are the cheap blue states to live in? ›

Regarding affordability, the report indicates that Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey are the most affordable states with Arizona, Nevada, and Florida being the least affordable. The researchers came to this conclusion by using features such as credit score, mortgage debt, paid family leave, and median income.

Where is the best state to live in America? ›

▲ Overall RankStateEconomy
1Wyoming1
2Vermont27
3South Dakota17
4New Hampshire10
39 more rows
Jan 12, 2023

What state has the most evictions? ›

More than 900,000 renter households were evicted from their homes each year. South Carolina experienced the highest eviction rate of any state (6.2 percent) with an average of 26,430 evictions per year. Other states with high eviction rates include Arizona, Virginia, and Delaware.

Are renters happier? ›

Research suggests that, as far as happiness is concerned, owning a home is no better than renting. A 2011 study on about 600 women in Ohio found that homeowners weren't any happier than renters. In fact, the home owners “derive significantly more pain from their house and home,” the study authors wrote. The reason?

What is the shortest eviction notice? ›

A Three-Day Notice is the most common and quickest way to initiate the eviction process if the tenant is deliquent in paying the rent. The majority of Evictions, called Unlawful Detainer cases are for nonpayment of rent.

Where is the world's most expensive place to live? ›

Singapore and New York City tied for the first rank amongst the world's most expensive cities in 2022, pushing Israel's Tel Aviv from the first place in 2021 to the third place in 2022.

Where is the most expensive place to live? ›

Tied with New York, Singapore often tops the list.

What is average rent in USA? ›

What is the average rent in the U.S.? The average rent for an apartment in the U.S. is $1,702. The cost of rent varies depending on several factors, including location, size, and quality.

What US city has the most expensive housing? ›

The most expensive city in the U.S. in terms of housing costs is San Jose, California. It combined the highest monthly housing costs in our study with the second-highest home values, but San Francisco wasn't far behind.

What are the three most expensive states to live in? ›

Hawaii, Massachusetts, and California are the three most expensive states to live in, with cost of living indices of 184, 149.7, and 137.6, respectively.

Is it more expensive to live in NYC or LA? ›

Overall, LA is about 24% less expensive than NYC. The cost of living in LA is lower than in NYC thanks to far lower housing prices. On average, housing in LA is 34% cheaper than in New York City. Additionally, prices for groceries, as well as restaurant prices, are lower in Los Angeles than in NYC.

What is the most expensive zip code in the United States? ›

Most expensive ZIP codes in the U.S.

The most expensive ZIP code in terms of home values for all homes in the U.S. is 94027, in Atherton, California, with a 12-month average value of more than $7.7 million.

Where are the most evictions? ›

Looking at data from 2019, we see the highest rates of eviction across the Inland Empire (37 per 1,000 renters in Riverside County, 42 in San Bernardino County) and the Central Valley (36 per 1,000 in Calaveras County, 30 in San Joaquin County).

What state has the highest average rental rates? ›

Hawaii has the highest average rent in the United States at $2,399 a month. The asking rent for a typical unit in Hawaii is even higher, with vacant units asking $2,850 for new renters. Average rents in Honolulu cost an average of $2,528.

What percent of the US is renters? ›

(According to the Pew Research Center, about 36 percent of American households rented, rather than owned, their homes in 2019, the last year that reliable data was available from the Census Bureau.) Moody's first started tracking the metric in 1999, when the typical rent-to-income ratio was 22.5 percent.

Which US city has the most apartments? ›

1. New York, NY
  • Share of housing that is high-density: 62.0%
  • Share of owner housing that is high-density: 33.4%
  • Share of renter housing that is high-density: 75.4%
  • Total high-density housing units: 1,992,401.
  • Total housing units: 3,211,033.
Feb 1, 2022

Who has highest eviction rate in America? ›

Data shows Black Americans, and especially Black women with children, face the highest rates of eviction, according to the Eviction Lab.

What state has the lowest eviction rate? ›

While last month's Household Census survey shows renters concerned about evictions, California consistently has the LOWEST eviction rates of the 10 most populous states, with 2.2 pre-COVID eviction filings per 100 rental households as compared to 9 per 100 in New York and 16 per 100 in Michigan.

What race has the highest eviction rate in the US? ›

A staggering 9.7 percent of Black renter households and 8.7 percent of Hispanic households reported that they were very likely to be evicted in the next two months. This is significantly higher than what white (4.4 percent) and Asian (3.7 percent) households reported.

Who owns most rental properties? ›

Of the approximately 50 million rental housing units in the United States, around 41% of the rental units are owned by mom and pop landlords, also known as individual investor landlords.

Are rents falling in the US? ›

Why rent prices are falling. The biggest factor in recent rent price declines is a glut of new rental units in 2023, “the largest in 50 years,” says Thomas LaSalvia, director of economic research at Moody's Analytics. Rental unit vacancies have increased slightly as well, he says.

What is the richest apartment in America? ›

Inside the $250 million penthouse on 'Billionaires' Row'
  • The penthouse inside Central Park Tower is the most expensive listing in the country.
  • It has seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, three powder rooms and a 2,000-square-foot ballroom.
Sep 23, 2022

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