With rental prices having experienced a 5.1% year-over-year increase last year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst Places to Rent in America, as well as expert commentary.
To help prospective renters get the most bang for their buck, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 21 key indicators of rental attractiveness and quality of life. The data set ranges from historical rental-price changes to the cost of living to job availability.
| Best Cities for Renters | Worst Cities for Renters | |
| 1. Overland Park, KS | 173. Huntington, WV | |
| 2. Scottsdale, AZ | 174. San Bernardino, CA | |
| 3. Chandler, AZ | 175. Baton Rouge, LA | |
| 4. Gilbert, AZ | 176. Jackson, MS | |
| 5. Bismarck, ND | 177. Newark, NJ | |
| 6. Sioux Falls, SD | 178. New Orleans, LA | |
| 7. Huntsville, AL | 179. Tacoma, WA | |
| 8. Peoria, AZ | 180. Cleveland, OH | |
| 9. Lewiston, ME | 181. Detroit, MI | |
| 10. Nashua, NH | 182. Memphis, TN |
Best vs. Worst
- Bismarck, North Dakota, has the highest rental affordability, with the lowest median annual gross rent divided by median annual household income at 15.34 percent. This is 2.3 times lower than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the lowest at 35.22 percent.
- Charleston, West Virginia has the highest rental vacancy rate, which is 10.4 times higher than in South Burlington, Vermont, the city with the lowest.
- Newark, New Jersey, has the highest share of renter-occupied housing units, which is 4.5 times higher than in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the city with the lowest.
- Brownsville, Texas, has the lowest cost-of-living index, which is 2.4 times lower than in Honolulu and Pearl City, Hawaii, the cities with the highest.
- Warwick, Rhode Island, has the fewest violent crimes (per 1,000 residents), which is 51.3 times fewer than in Oakland, California, the city with the most.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-renters/23010