These Are the 50 Best Cities for Renters

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These Are the 50 Best Cities for Renters

Buying a home seems to be all the rage during the pandemic, as interest rates have bottomed out and made the mortgage loan process a lot easier to swallow. Still, many Americans aren’t jumping to buy. After all, the coronavirus pandemic put millions of people out of work, and others fear a future layoff — not to mention the sky-high listing prices that are causing some experts to warn of an impending crash.
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Read: The Salary You Need To Afford Rent in Every State
But while no one likes to pay rent, the cost of that burden differs greatly depending on where you live, a GOBankingRates study shows. GOBankingRates compiled data on the median rental price for different sizes and types of living spaces across the 150 largest cities in America, then scored each and combined the averages to reveal the cheapest places to rent in the country. Before uprooting to a new city, it’s financially savvy to find out if you can afford the rent.
50. Aurora, Illinois
- Population: 200,660
- Median rent (overall): $1,193
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $910
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,182
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49. Corpus Christi, Texas
- Population: 324,692
- Median rent (overall): $1,108
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $913
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,123
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48. Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Population: 177,365
- Median rent (overall): $1,074
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $882
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,054
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47. Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Population: 197,081
- Median rent (overall): $1,106
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $872
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,116
46. St. Paul, Minnesota
- Population: 302,760
- Median rent (overall): $1,037
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $899
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,133
45. Tucson, Arizona
- Population: 539,216
- Median rent (overall): $1,100
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $834
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,107
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44. Kansas City, Missouri
- Population: 481,417
- Median rent (overall): $1,068
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $919
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,078
43. Houston, Texas
- Population: 2,295,982
- Median rent (overall): $1,031
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $906
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,078
42. San Antonio, Texas
- Population: 1,486,521
- Median rent (overall): $1,044
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $898
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,090
41. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Population: 389,648
- Median rent (overall): $1,049
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $917
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,071
40. Greensboro, North Carolina
- Population: 288,719
- Median rent (overall): $1,014
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $864
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,002
39. Huntsville, Alabama
- Population: 193,663
- Median rent (overall): $1,059
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $842
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,005
38. Rochester, New York
- Population: 207,778
- Median rent (overall): $1,013
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $842
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,076
37. Bakersfield, California
- Population: 375,699
- Median rent (overall): $1,071
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $756
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $985
36. Spokane, Washington
- Population: 214,804
- Median rent (overall): $1,022
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $765
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,051
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35. Birmingham, Alabama
- Population: 212,021
- Median rent (overall): $962
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $808
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $952
34. Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Population: 559,202
- Median rent (overall): $1,019
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $813
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,001
33. Indianapolis, Indiana
- Population: 857,637
- Median rent (overall): $996
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $831
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,014
32. St. Louis, Missouri
- Population: 311,273
- Median rent (overall): $941
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $827
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,066
31. Omaha, Nebraska
- Population: 465,112
- Median rent (overall): $977
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $810
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,035
30. Columbus, Ohio
- Population: 867,628
- Median rent (overall): $1,007
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $810
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $1,020
29. Memphis, Tennessee
- Population: 653,248
- Median rent (overall): $1,004
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $829
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $967
28. Columbus, Georgia
- Population: 196,670
- Median rent (overall): $995
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $801
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $924
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27. Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Population: 209,867
- Median rent (overall): $1,027
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $777
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $914
26. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Population: 225,362
- Median rent (overall): $973
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $813
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $950
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25. Louisville, Kentucky
- Population: 617,032
- Median rent (overall): $966
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $783
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $985
24. Knoxville, Tennessee
- Population: 185,429
- Median rent (overall): $987
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $775
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $971
23. Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
- Population: 318,734
- Median rent (overall): $982
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $781
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $955
22. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Population: 303,587
- Median rent (overall): $926
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $761
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $962
21. Augusta, Georgia
- Population: 196,807
- Median rent (overall): $997
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $792
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $932
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20. Montgomery, Alabama
- Population: 200,156
- Median rent (overall): $992
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $763
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $941
19. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Population: 637,284
- Median rent (overall): $933
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $735
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $916
18. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Population: 174,151
- Median rent (overall): $886
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $740
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $901
17. Lincoln, Nebraska
- Population: 280,849
- Median rent (overall): $913
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $743
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $932
16. Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Population: 402,223
- Median rent (overall): $918
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $722
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $930
15. El Paso, Texas
- Population: 680,354
- Median rent (overall): $942
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $740
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $904
14. Mobile, Alabama
- Population: 191,485
- Median rent (overall): $929
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $695
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $888
13. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Population: 596,886
- Median rent (overall): $914
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $747
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $918
12. Lubbock, Texas
- Population: 250,415
- Median rent (overall): $890
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $694
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $856
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11. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Population: 242,125
- Median rent (overall): $883
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $702
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $856
10. Des Moines, Iowa
- Population: 215,932
- Median rent (overall): $856
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $720
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $893
9. Detroit, Michigan
- Population: 677,155
- Median rent (overall): $916
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $671
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $895
8. Cincinnati, Ohio
- Population: 300,357
- Median rent (overall): $806
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $691
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $878
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7. Little Rock, Arkansas
- Population: 198,135
- Median rent (overall): $822
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $702
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $834
6. Shreveport, Louisiana
- Population: 193,785
- Median rent (overall): $819
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $694
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $827
5. Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Population: 264,052
- Median rent (overall): $805
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $647
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $815
4. Amarillo, Texas
- Population: 198,773
- Median rent (overall): $802
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $625
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $807
3. Akron, Ohio
- Population: 198,314
- Median rent (overall): $792
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $603
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $800
2. Toledo, Ohio
- Population: 278,193
- Median rent (overall): $786
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $596
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $789
1. Cleveland, Ohio
- Population: 387,398
- Median rent (overall): $773
- Median rent (1-bedroom): $611
- Median rent (2-bedroom): $779
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Joel Anderson and Gabrielle Olya contributed to the reporting for this article.
To find the 50 best cities for renters, GOBankingRates looked at the 150 largest cities in the U.S. according to the Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey and used Apartment List’s October, 2020 rental data to find each city’s (1) overall estimated typical rent price, (2) estimated rent for a studio, (3) estimated rent for a 1-bedroom, (4) estimated rent for a 2-bedroom, and (5) estimated rent for a 3-bedroom. GOBankingRates then scored all cities with available data against each other on factors (1-5) and ranked them based on their combined score. No. 1 is the overall best city for renters in terms of affordability. All data was collected on and up to date as of Nov. 4, 2020.
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