Ranking · 2026
🏢 Best Cities for Renters in America (2026)
Where do renters get the most for their money? We ranked US cities with 25,000+ residents by rent burden — the percentage of gross income consumed by rent — and compared rents against the national median. Lower rent burden means more room in your budget.
Data: 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · Updated April 2026
Published January 1, 2026 · Updated April 25, 2026
Key Findings
- 1. Jefferson City, MO is the #1 city for renters with a rent burden of just 13.7% of gross income — renters there pay $766/mo on a median household income of $67,205.
- 2. 78% of the top 50 renter-friendly cities are in the Midwest or South, where wages are competitive relative to rental costs.
- 3. The national median rent of $1,314/mo consumes roughly 21% of median household income nationally — with the top 50 cities in this study all coming in well under that figure.
- 4. Large coastal cities dominate the worst-15 list, where rent burdens frequently exceed 35–40% of gross income.
Top 50 Best Cities for Renters
Cities with 25,000+ population · Ranked by rent burden and rental cost vs national median
| # | City | Med. Rent | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson City, MO Pop. 42,565 | $766/mo | 13.7% |
| 2 | Granite City, IL Pop. 26,670 | $761/mo | 15.1% |
| 3 | San Luis, AZ Pop. 35,998 | $746/mo | 15.6% |
| 4 | Aberdeen, SD Pop. 28,297 | $783/mo | 14.7% |
| 5 | Manitowoc, WI Pop. 34,553 | $787/mo | 15.2% |
| 6 | Bristol, TN Pop. 27,490 | $764/mo | 16.7% |
| 7 | Pekin, IL Pop. 31,812 | $792/mo | 16.3% |
| 8 | Gillette, WY Pop. 33,278 | $922/mo | 12.2% |
| 9 | Galesburg, IL Pop. 29,653 | $719/mo | 19.1% |
| 10 | Athens, AL Pop. 27,474 | $834/mo | 15.4% |
| 11 | Bay City, MI Pop. 32,445 | $739/mo | 18.5% |
| 12 | Austintown, OH Pop. 30,215 | $767/mo | 18.1% |
| 13 | Butte-Silver Bow (balance), MT Pop. 34,929 | $808/mo | 16.8% |
| 14 | Eagle Pass, TX Pop. 28,186 | $794/mo | 17.3% |
| 15 | Marshalltown, IA Pop. 27,491 | $864/mo | 15.1% |
| 16 | Austin, MN Pop. 26,167 | $860/mo | 15.5% |
| 17 | Rock Island, IL Pop. 36,758 | $819/mo | 17.2% |
| 18 | Norfolk, NE Pop. 25,962 | $850/mo | 16.4% |
| 19 | Florence, AL Pop. 41,231 | $784/mo | 18.7% |
| 20 | Parkersburg, WV Pop. 29,461 | $746/mo | 20.0% |
| 21 | Quincy, IL Pop. 39,188 | $824/mo | 17.5% |
| 22 | Great Falls, MT Pop. 60,412 | $866/mo | 16.3% |
| 23 | Altoona, PA Pop. 43,508 | $789/mo | 18.9% |
| 24 | Minot, ND Pop. 47,922 | $928/mo | 14.4% |
| 25 | Decatur, IL Pop. 70,368 | $796/mo | 18.8% |
| 26 | Hastings, NE Pop. 25,005 | $858/mo | 16.8% |
| 27 | Jamestown, NY Pop. 28,401 | $755/mo | 20.2% |
| 28 | Wooster, OH Pop. 27,012 | $882/mo | 16.1% |
| 29 | Niagara Falls, NY Pop. 48,198 | $784/mo | 19.4% |
| 30 | Sheboygan, WI Pop. 49,812 | $874/mo | 16.7% |
| 31 | Winona, MN Pop. 25,998 | $839/mo | 17.9% |
| 32 | Mason City, IA Pop. 27,135 | $874/mo | 16.8% |
| 33 | Decatur, AL Pop. 57,760 | $861/mo | 17.3% |
| 34 | Marion, IA Pop. 41,690 | $978/mo | 13.5% |
| 35 | Thomasville, NC Pop. 27,261 | $853/mo | 17.6% |
| 36 | Moline, IL Pop. 42,235 | $887/mo | 16.6% |
| 37 | Wheeling, WV Pop. 26,670 | $795/mo | 19.7% |
| 38 | Henderson, KY Pop. 27,994 | $788/mo | 20.0% |
| 39 | Paducah, KY Pop. 26,894 | $817/mo | 19.1% |
| 40 | Northport, AL Pop. 30,991 | $954/mo | 14.7% |
| 41 | Pocatello, ID Pop. 57,152 | $861/mo | 17.8% |
| 42 | Kearney, NE Pop. 34,024 | $922/mo | 15.9% |
| 43 | Massillon, OH Pop. 32,177 | $846/mo | 18.4% |
| 44 | Charleston, WV Pop. 47,918 | $898/mo | 16.7% |
| 45 | Appleton, WI Pop. 74,873 | $957/mo | 14.8% |
| 46 | Rome, NY Pop. 31,795 | $871/mo | 17.8% |
| 47 | North Tonawanda, NY Pop. 30,338 | $914/mo | 16.4% |
| 48 | Troy, OH Pop. 26,716 | $934/mo | 15.9% |
| 49 | Dickinson, ND Pop. 25,216 | $963/mo | 15.0% |
| 50 | Lewiston, ID Pop. 34,471 | $938/mo | 15.8% |
Rent burden = (monthly rent × 12) ÷ median household income. Green <20% · Yellow 20–30% · Red >30%
Worst 15 Cities for Renters
Highest rent burden among cities with 100,000+ residents — where renting is most financially strained
| # | City | Med. Rent | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hialeah, FL Pop. 221,901 | $1,558/mo | 35.2% |
| 2 | Miami Gardens, FL Pop. 111,264 | $1,709/mo | 33.6% |
| 3 | Miami, FL Pop. 446,663 | $1,657/mo | 33.5% |
| 4 | Newark, NJ Pop. 307,188 | $1,330/mo | 33.0% |
| 5 | Paterson, NJ Pop. 157,660 | $1,457/mo | 32.5% |
| 6 | Hartford, CT Pop. 119,970 | $1,221/mo | 32.3% |
| 7 | El Cajon, CA Pop. 104,909 | $1,790/mo | 32.3% |
| 8 | New Haven, CT Pop. 132,893 | $1,442/mo | 32.2% |
| 9 | Gainesville, FL Pop. 143,611 | $1,214/mo | 31.9% |
| 10 | Detroit, MI Pop. 636,644 | $1,034/mo | 31.4% |
| 11 | El Monte, CA Pop. 107,066 | $1,677/mo | 31.2% |
| 12 | Pompano Beach, FL Pop. 112,212 | $1,636/mo | 30.8% |
| 13 | Glendale, CA Pop. 192,270 | $2,095/mo | 29.8% |
| 14 | Bridgeport, CT Pop. 148,012 | $1,405/mo | 29.8% |
| 15 | West Palm Beach, FL Pop. 119,508 | $1,709/mo | 29.6% |
Understanding Rent Burden
<20%
Low Burden
Comfortable — significant room in budget for savings and other expenses
20–30%
Moderate Burden
Manageable — within the standard 30% guideline most financial planners recommend
>30%
Cost-Burdened
HUD definition of cost-burdened — leaves little room for savings or emergencies
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines households spending more than 30% of gross income on housing as "cost-burdened." Those spending more than 50% are considered "severely cost-burdened."
Frequently Asked Questions
Is renting actually cheaper than buying right now?
In a lot of major metros, the rent-vs-buy gap has narrowed enough that renting plus index-fund investing the would-be down payment can come out ahead — especially over a 5-year horizon. The "American dream" framing pushes everyone toward buying, but the math has shifted in the last few years. The cities at the top of this list are renter-friendly enough that staying a renter while saving is a defensible choice, not a failure.
What's the 30% rule and why does it keep showing up?
It's HUD's threshold: households spending more than 30% of gross income on housing are classified as "cost-burdened." Above 50% is "severely cost-burdened." It's an oversimplified rule — taxes, debt service, and city-specific costs matter — but it's the standard reference because it correlates with downstream financial stress (savings rate, missed bills, eviction risk).
Why aren't any major coastal cities in the top 10?
Because rents in coastal metros have outpaced local incomes for a decade. Even high-earning Seattle or Boston households often hit 30%+ rent burden at the median. The cities that rank well here are mid-sized markets where rents stayed roughly proportional to local wage growth — usually because supply hasn't been as constrained.
Do these rents include utilities and renters' insurance?
The Census ACS "median gross rent" figure includes utilities (electricity, gas, water, fuel) but excludes renters' insurance, internet/cable, and any optional building amenities. Add roughly $20-30/month for renters' insurance and $50-80/month for internet — neither shifts the rankings meaningfully but matters for budget math.
What does this NOT capture?
Quality and condition of the rental stock (a $1,200 rent in two different cities can mean very different living experiences), neighborhood-level safety, school district overlap if you have kids, and lease availability — some renter-friendly markets have low vacancy rates that make finding a place much harder than the median rent suggests.
How often does this data update?
The underlying Census ACS 5-year estimates update annually, typically each December for the prior year. Local rents can move faster than the data — especially in markets with new construction or sudden demand shifts — so treat the numbers as a 12-18 month lagging indicator rather than a real-time market view.
Methodology
We analyzed all US cities and towns with a population of 25,000 or more that had complete data for median gross rent and median household income in the 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Rent Burden = (Median monthly rent × 12) ÷ Median household income × 100
Ranking Score = (Rent Burden × 0.7) + (Rent / National Median Rent × 30) — lower scores are better. Rent burden is weighted more heavily since it reflects affordability relative to local wages. The second component captures absolute rental cost compared to the national median of $1,314/mo.
The "worst 15" table uses the same rent burden calculation but is limited to cities with 100,000+ residents to focus on significant rental markets. Full methodology.
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Data: 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · Updated April 2026