Southern cities offer U.S. renters the best value in 2025, analysis finds

As record-high home prices squeeze more Americans out of the housing market, rising rents across the country are proving equally daunting. Yet some cities offer decided advantages for renters when it comes to affordability and other benefits, a recent analysis finds. 

Drawing on Census and other data, RentCafe.com looked at 20 key metrics — from apartment quality and economic strength to traffic, air quality and access to natural amenities — across 150 U.S. cities. Metro areas were ranked based on their cost of living and housing prices, local economic growth and quality of life.  

Southern cities top the rankings, with McKinney, Texas; Sarasota, Florida; Atlanta; Austin, Texas; and Huntsville, Alabama, occupying the top five slots of best places for renters to live. With high scores in cost of living and strong local economies, cities in the South account for more than a third of the 150 metro areas.