The US Cities Most Attractive to Renters
GettyImages/ naruecha jenthaisong
Connecting state and local government leaders
There was a 10% increase in rental applications nationwide last year, and millennials were the generational group that moved around the most, a new report shows.
With the rise of remote work during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a 10% increase in rental applications from 2020 to 2021 as people sought out dwellings with more space, according to a report based on applications.
Among the renters seeking new digs, millennials were the generation moving around the U.S the most, including 72% renters swapping New York City for Jersey City, New Jersey, says the report from StorageCafe, which rents storage units nationwide. In fact, millennials were two to four times more likely than Generation X and baby boomers to move.
Here are the top 20 cities for net renter migration in 2021, according to the data:
| Rank | City |
| 1 | Irving, Texas |
| 2 | Lewisville, Texas |
| 3 | Orlando, Florida |
| 4 | Arlington, Virginia |
| 5 | Palm Bay, Florida |
| 6 | Boulder, Colorado |
| 7 | Atlanta |
| 8 | Jersey City, New Jersey |
| 9 | Tempe, Arizona |
| 10 | Washington, D.C. |
| 11 | Charleston, South Carolina |
| 12 | Overland Park, Kansas |
| 13 | Richmond, Virginia |
| 14 | Lansing, Michigan |
| 15 | Denver |
| 16 | Alexandria, Virginia |
| 17 | Dallas |
| 18 | Austin, Texas |
| 19 | Wilmington, North Carolina |
| 20 | Scottsdale, Arizona |
Texas has become a prime location for those looking to relocate, specifically Californians. About 10% of people living in California who relocated chose Texas, the report states. In fact, the Lone Star state has three cities on the top 20 list.
Dallas’ neighbor, Irving, tops the list of cities most appealing to renters. Home to about a quarter-million residents, Irving has spacious and affordable rentals and big-name employers. And many renters are choosing Lewisville, a city with 100,000 residents north of Dallas, for its affordable housing and recreation options.
The study was based on data from 3.4 million rental applications in 2021, and only included cities with populations of 100,000-plus residents and a minimum of 500 rental applications.
For more information from the report click here.
Andre Claudio is an assistant editor at Route Fifty.
NEXT STORY: US Cities Where Housing Prices Are Falling