This month, ApartmentAdvisor released its annual report on the best cities for renters in the United States.
The report analyzed 98 major cities across the country based on:
- Renter friendliness score
- Renting quality score
- Economic score
- Desirability score
Renter friendliness and renting quality scores were determined by demand, vacant rates, tenant protection laws and new residential construction. The desirability score is based on public transit and entertainment, while the economic score was determined by analyzing the median income-to-median rent ratio, rental property price trends, and unemployment rates.
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The cities were scored on a 100% scale, and the data used to rank them is from the U.S. Census Bureau, ApartmentAdvisor, Walkscore, and Yelp.
ApartmentAdvisor considered only the median one-bedroom monthly rent for this report.
Raleigh is the most renter-friendly city in America
Money Report
Renter friendliness score: 65.72
Renting quality score: 64.4
Economic score: 81.9
Desirability score: 21.1
Raleigh, North Carolina is the friendliest city for renters according to the ApartmentAdvisor report. Median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city is $1,263.
Of the 98 cities ranked, Raleigh had the second-highest number of permits for new privately owned housing units per capita in the metro area, according to the report. It proves the city is trying its best to keep up with the demand for its housing market.
ApartmentAdvisor's report found that although Raleigh is more expensive to live in than other southern cities, rent there has decreased year over year since August 2022.
Raleigh is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city's population grew by 1.87% between 2022 and 2023.
After Charlotte, Raleigh is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, which is also the No. 2 top state for business on CNBC's annual ranking. It previously ranked No. 1 in 2022 and 2023 but was beaten out by Virginia this year.
10 most renter-friendly cities in America 2024
- Raleigh, N.C.
- Huntsville, Ala.
- Oakland, Calif.
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Portland, Ore.
- Jacksonville, Fla.
- Nashville, Tenn.
- Pittsburgh, Penn.
- Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Forth Worth, Texas
Huntsville, Alabama, ranked as the No. 2 most renter-friendly city in the U.S. It had a renter-friendliness score of 64.86, a renting quality score of 61, an economic score of 89.9, and a desirability score of 22.6.
Similar to Raleigh, Huntsville ranked highly due to its high number of new residential construction permits and vacancy rates. The city also had one of the lowest median rents — $863 a month for a one-bedroom apartment.
Huntsville's cost of living is 8% lower than the national average and housing expenses are 25% lower, according to PayScale.
The city is home to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, a museum dedicated to the country's space program. Huntsville became synonymous with the U.S. space program during the Space Race of the 1960s and NASA has one of its largest centers located on a military base in the area.
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