10 Cities Where Renters With a $2,000 Budget Can Get the Most Space
Written by
David Nadelle
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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If you’re going to test the rental market in 2025, you’ll need to figure out how much room you’ll need to live comfortably. Depending on whether you’re a first-time renter, considering a change of location or downsizing for retirement, your budget, lifestyle and household size will determine the space in your new apartment.
However, the amount of square footage you can get for the same monthly price varies wildly across the U.S. The good news is that all renters should be getting more value for money in 2025, according to rental listing data from Redfin and Rent.com. The average American renter with a $2,000 monthly budget can afford an apartment 70 square feet larger than they could have when rents topped out in 2022.
“Renters are getting more bang for their buck than they were during the pandemic because asking rents have since stabilized below their record high and incomes have continued to climb,” said Sheharyar Bokhari, senior economist at Redfin. “Rental affordability has improved thanks to the recent apartment construction boom, especially in Sun Belt states.”
When it comes to the U.S. metros that offer the least value for money, West and East Coast cities like San Jose, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and San Diego have the most expensive rents per square footage. In fact, a renter on a $2,000 budget in Memphis can get 1,000 more square feet than a renter in San Jose.
Here are the 10 metros where a $2,000 budget rents the most space.
Jacksonville, Florida
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,297 square feet
According to Rent.com, the expected average rent for apartments in Jacksonville will be between $1,204 and $1,604 in 2025, with the most desirable neighborhoods in terms of price being Springfield, Mid-Westside, Arlington, Hillcrest and Holiday Hill.
Cleveland
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,316 square feet
Cleveland ranks 11 out of 229 cities with the lowest cost of living in America, according to Niche.com. Median home values have always been desirable in “The Land” ($87,400 versus the national average of $281,900), but median rents are a bargain too ($851 versus $1,268).
Cincinnati
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,331 square feet
This underrated gem’s vibrant downtown and diverse neighborhoods are home to a variety of professional sports franchises and thriving arts scenes. However, its affordability that makes Cincinnati a unique Midwestern destination. The average rent in Cincinnati is $1,072 a month, or 31% lower than the national average, per Apartments.com.
Indianapolis
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,333 square feet
At $1,425, the median rent in Indianapolis is 29% less than the national median, according to Zillow. Cost of living is low too. Housing (-22%), utilities (-5%), groceries (-1%) and transportation (-4%) costs all fall below national average figures, per Payscale.
Raleigh, North Carolina
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,334 square feet
In January 2025, the median rent in Raleigh, North Carolina, is $1,856, $21 higher than it was 12 months ago, per Zillow. With $2,000, you should be able to get a 1,153-square-foot zero- or one-bedroom apartment, a 1,440-square-foot two-bedroom apartment or a 1,504-square-foot three-bedroom apartment in this sought-after thrifty city.
Houston
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,380 square feet
With a BestPlaces cost of living score of 96.9, Houston has a cost of living that’s 2.9% higher than the state average and 3.1% lower than the U.S. average for housing, food, daycare, transportation, healthcare, taxes and other essentials.
St. Louis
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,388 square feet
As crazy as it sounds, families living in St. Louis spend 53.9% less in monthly expenses than the national average and individuals spend 42.7% less, according to BestPlaces. Rent for a two-bedroom unit in St. Louis is $1,020 per month, which is 28.7% cheaper than the national average.
Louisville, Kentucky
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,479 square feet
The cost of housing (buying and renting) in Kentucky is low compared with the rest of the country, and while housing in Louisville is 3% more expensive than the state average, it’s 20% lower than the national average. Renters in Louisville pay a respectable average monthly rent of $1,291, per RentCafe.
Birmingham, Alabama
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,523 square feet
Due to its strong economy and affordable housing market, Birmingham has been described as a “magnet for millennials,” per RealWealth. It noted the city’s ranking of seven among the 150 largest metro areas for an increase in residents between the ages of 25 and 34. For $2,000, you can almost get three times the square footage for an apartment in Birmingham than in San Jose.
Memphis, Tennessee
- All apartments (zero to three-plus bedrooms): 1,570 square feet
With a reputation as a great value destination, Memphis tops the list of metros where you can get the most square footage bang for your $2,000 budget buck. Memphis is simply one of the most affordable cities in America. The city ranked third in a 2024 SmartAsset study of what $100,000 is worth in the largest U.S. cities.
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