The 10 best and 10 worst cities for renters

Aug 06, 2026 01:55 AM - 1 hour ago 1

Aerial position of municipality streets and shopping buildings astatine sunset.

Four of the 10 champion cities for renters were successful Arizona. Jeremy Poland/Getty Images

The buy vs. rent pendulum is ever swinging, but immoderate cities cater amended to those already group connected renting.

WalletHub analyzed 182 markets based connected 2 factors: rental marketplace & affordability, and value of life. Every metropolis was graded connected a 100-point standard utilizing 21 metrics, for illustration the stock of renters and the occupation market.

The Midwest and Sun Belt person been duking it retired for the title of champion region to unrecorded successful in caller years, but 1 Sun Belt authorities westbound of the Mississippi River made the biggest scatter connected WalletHub's list: Arizona.

On the whole, the authorities of Arizona hasn't been a celebrated choice, but for renters, it checks immoderate important boxes. Chandler, Gilbert, and Scottsdale, Arizona, each vanished successful the apical 5 successful quality-of-life rankings, pinch Scottsdale ranking first.

US News & World Report classed Arizona 17th successful employment, and according to WalletHub, a mostly of renters successful each 3 cities walk little than 22% of their income connected rent.

As for the cities connected the other extremity of the spectrum, unsurprisingly, they classed debased successful rental marketplace & affordability, and value of life, pinch rankings not exceeding 123rd for either category.

Read beneath to spot which cities are good for renters, and which ones aren't.

Worst cities for renters

Two weathered vacant houses pinch surgery windows and overgrown yards guidelines on a quiet municipality street.

The 10 worst cities for renters. Posnov/Getty Images

10. Shreveport, LA

Downtown Shreveport skyline rises down a truss span and stream astatine dusk pinch colorful reflected lights.

Shreveport, Louisiana. Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Total score: 38.08

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 123

Quality of life rank: 179

9. Huntington, WV

Downtown streetscape pinch storefronts, mid-rise buildings, a mini park, and autumn trees nether a cloudy sky.

Huntington, West Virginia. Posnov/Getty Images

Total score: 38.02

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 143

Quality of life rank: 172

8. Augusta, GA

Downtown August from overhead

Short-term rental prices successful Augusta, Georgia, surge during Master's week. Kruck20/Getty Images

Total score: 38.00

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 136

Quality of life rank: 180

7. New Orleans, LA

New Orleans astatine sunset.

New Orleans. Larry Gibson/Getty Images

Total score: 36.51

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 154

Quality of life rank: 162

6. Newark, NJ

Illuminated downtown skyline reflects crossed a calm stream astatine dusk nether a cloud-filled sky.

Newark, New Jersey. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Total score: 36.08

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 149

Quality of life rank: 169

5. Akron, OH

Downtown Fort Wayne skyline rises beyond a tree-lined parking batch nether lukewarm sunset clouds.

Akron, Ohio. RudyBalasko/Getty Images

Total score: 34.38

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 170

Quality of life rank: 167

4. Memphis, TN

Downtown Memphis skyline and illuminated road interchanges beside the Mississippi River astatine dusk.

Memphis. John Coletti/Getty Images

Total score: 32.97

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 114

Quality of life rank: 182

3. Jackson, MS

Illuminated Mississippi State Capitol stands amid trees and downtown Jackson skyline astatine dusk.

Jackson, Mississippi. SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images

Total score: 32.79

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 181

Quality of life rank: 146

2. Cleveland, OH

Downtown Cleveland skyline rises beside the Cuyahoga River pinch Terminal Tower and waterfront parks successful lukewarm light.

Cleveland. Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images

Total score: 32.02

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 174

Quality of life rank: 178

1. Detroit, MI

Aerial position of downtown Detroit from complete the Detroit River.

Detroit. halbergman/Getty Images

Total score: 29.95

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 160

Quality of life rank: 181

Best cities for renters

Illuminated buildings and pedestrian railings bespeak successful a calm municipality canal astatine bluish hour.

The 10 champion cities for renters. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

10. Amarillo, TX

The cityscape successful Amarillo, Texas.

Amarillo, Texas. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Total score: 60.18

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 20

Quality of life rank: 34

9. Sioux Falls, SD

Urban stream flows beneath a span betwixt downtown buildings astatine dusk nether a clear bluish sky.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Total score: 62.33

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 1

Quality of life rank: 108

8. Huntsville, AL

Huntsville, Alabama, parkland and downtown cityscape astatine twilight.

Huntsville, Alabama. Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Total score: 63.10

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 4

Quality of life rank: 38

7. Bismarck, ND

Aerial position of the North Dakota State Capitol successful Bismarck, North Dakota, connected a melodramatic overcast sunset pinch a red-tinted entity successful the fall.

Bismarck, North Dakota. halbergman/Getty Images

Total score: 63.60

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 3

Quality of life rank: 55

6. Peoria, AZ

Afternoon aerial position of the downtown skyline and surrounding lodging of Peoria, Arizona.

Peoria, Arizona. MattGush/Getty Images

Total score: 65.25

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 22

Quality of life rank: 2

5. Columbia, MD

Modern agency and flat buildings bespeak successful a calm reservoir beside autumn trees nether a clear bluish sky.

Columbia, Maryland. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Total score: 65.80

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 2

Quality of life rank: 39

4. Overland Park, KS

Aerial position of an agency territory pinch mid-rise buildings, parking lots, roads, trees, and a clear bluish sky.

Overland Park, Kansas. Dee Liu/Getty Images

Total score: 66.94

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 9

Quality of life rank: 4

3. Chandler, AZ

Aerial position of a sunny municipality business territory pinch agency buildings, streets, parking lots, thenar trees, and distant mountains.

Chandler, Arizona. MattGush/Getty Images

Total score: 67.20

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 11

Quality of life rank: 5

2. Gilbert, AZ

Aerial position of agency buildings, parking lots, a h2o tower, and surrounding neighborhoods pinch mountains successful the distance.

Gilbert, Arizona. MattGush/Getty Images

Total score: 67.63

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 6

Quality of life rank: 9

1. Scottsdale, AZ

Aerial cityscape of Scottsdale, Arizona, nether a colorful sunset sky.

Scottsdale, Arizona. Jeremy Poland/Getty Images

Total score: 69.05

Rental marketplace & affordability rank: 24

Quality of life rank: 1

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Jordan reports connected moving trends — from remote work to house hacking. He besides writes astir movers struggling pinch issues astir relocating for illustration buyer's remorse and the galore intricacies of moving to an unfamiliar state. He besides has stories focusing connected property technology and successful 2022, moderated a sheet connected fractional investing astatine existent property exertion convention Blueprint.  Before Insider, he covered luxury existent property successful South Florida for The Real Deal.  He holds a Master's grade successful Magazine Writing from New York University and a Bachelor's grade successful English from Florida State University.

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