The city, now majority-renter, epitomizes what’s occurred elsewhere as a greater proportion of Americans opt to forgo -- or at least delay -- homeownership. This carries numerous ramifications for localities, from renters’ different demands for services to the way they interact with government. While small upticks in renting rarely provoke major consequences, long-term shifts can reshape cities in a number of ways.
Governing reviewed Census data covering the period since 2000 for all cities with at least 100,000 residents. We found a median increase in the renter population of 31 percent. Many of the jurisdictions with the steepest increases were in rapidly developing areas in Arizona, Florida and Texas. Over the same period, the number in owner-occupied dwellings also rose, but only by a median of 7 percent.
The rental influx hasn’t only been confined to booming areas. Fifty-three cities, including distressed ones like Allentown, added more than 10,000 renters and lost homeowners. Philadelphia provides one of the starkest examples. Its owner-occupied population dropped by about 100,000 since the start of the century, while the city’s large cohort of young adults and supply of new apartments has increased the renter population by 30 percent. Similar shifts have taken place in Akron, Ohio; Glendale, Ariz.; and Memphis, Tenn. Of all the cities losing owner-occupied units, all but eight still added renters. In several New Jersey cities just outside New York, about 7 out of 10 residents rent, and their numbers are climbing.
A confluence of several factors is behind renting’s steady ascent. Among them are young Americans delaying home purchases; steep prices that remain out of reach for many; and an expansion of the rental housing market. In Allentown, a large supply of affordable rental units is attracting low-income families, including thousands of evacuees from Puerto Rico. At the same time, a mix of millennials and empty nesters with higher incomes is moving into newer units.
Renters require a different set of resources than homeowners. Allentown employs 15 dedicated staff to inspect each unit once every five years and respond to multiple disruptive conduct reports daily. They often encounter absentee landlords from New Jersey and New York who purchased homes as investment properties. “With so many transients coming in and out of these properties, it doesn’t maintain a stable neighborhood,” says Leonard Lightner, the city’s director of community and economic development.
An analysis of New York City 311 call data published in the journal Urban Affairs Review found that, when other variables are controlled for, neighborhoods with more renters had higher rates of graffiti and noise complaints. Homeowners, meanwhile, requested slightly more “government goods,” such as street repairs and waste collection.
Renters and homeowners tend to hold different expectations for public services.
Renters in most cities generally view their service delivery less favorably than do homeowners, according to the National Research Center Inc., which conducts citizen satisfaction surveys.
It’s possible for a substantial shift toward renting to impact a city’s finances as well. Renters generally do not add to the tax base as much as homeowners, although this can depend on how taxes are structured. An Urban Institute analysis found renters were more likely to struggle in paying for basic needs. Renters in dense areas are also less likely to own cars than residents of single-family homes.
A large body of research has further linked homeownership with civic participation. Some of this has to do with residential tenure, as homeowners remain in neighborhoods longer and have a chance to put down deeper roots. But research from Georgetown University sociologist Brian McCabe finds that even after accounting for residential stability, homeowners are 1.62 times more likely to vote in local elections than renters, and are more likely to join civic and neighborhood groups. “A lot of voting is about having a sense of belonging,” he says. “Homeowners identify more with a place.”
This doesn’t all mean that a shift to renting is bad for cities. The National League of Cities’ James Brooks says they must engage renters differently than homeowners. He recommends, for example, that city programs reach out to renters in the neighborhoods where they live, rather than requiring them to come to city hall. “Places are stable and safe because they’re engaged and the neighbors know one another,” Brooks says. “They collaborate together and look out for one another, whether they own or rent.”
Housing Trends in Your City
| City | 2000-17 Rent Change (%) | 2000-17 Rent Change | 2000-17 Owner-Occupied Change (%) | 2000-17 Owner-Occupied Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise, Nevada | 1217% | 59,679 | 862% | 81,652 |
| Lehigh Acres, Florida | 1054% | 49,539 | 121% | 34,189 |
| Surprise, Arizona | 827% | 31,773 | 248% | 66,638 |
| Frisco, Texas | 634% | 27,597 | 324% | 94,039 |
| Murrieta, California | 360% | 27,570 | 103% | 37,757 |
| Gilbert, Arizona | 341% | 48,838 | 76% | 73,029 |
| Elk Grove, California | 300% | 33,986 | 147% | 71,483 |
| Pearland, Texas | 266% | 15,814 | 190% | 59,910 |
| McKinney, Texas | 259% | 35,184 | 194% | 75,806 |
| The Woodlands, Texas | 235% | 18,871 | 73% | 34,763 |
| Miramar, Florida | 216% | 26,427 | 62% | 37,175 |
| Spring Hill, Florida | 199% | 18,805 | 29% | 16,763 |
| North Las Vegas, Nevada | 193% | 69,229 | 62% | 48,916 |
| Temecula, California | 184% | 24,720 | 65% | 28,522 |
| Peoria, Arizona | 184% | 27,953 | 27% | 25,065 |
| Port St. Lucie, Florida | 179% | 29,845 | 84% | 60,006 |
| Highlands Ranch, Colorado | 175% | 11,399 | 36% | 23,000 |
| Brandon, Florida | 172% | 31,078 | 3% | 1,800 |
| Cape Coral, Florida | 163% | 34,780 | 46% | 36,678 |
| Irvine, California | 155% | 75,729 | 43% | 37,597 |
| West Jordan, Utah | 151% | 15,370 | 49% | 28,165 |
| Victorville, California | 143% | 32,545 | 51% | 20,885 |
| Spring Valley, Nevada | 135% | 60,354 | 24% | 17,511 |
| Thornton, Colorado | 134% | 21,139 | 44% | 28,805 |
| Henderson, Nevada | 122% | 56,928 | 40% | 51,284 |
| Round Rock, Texas | 121% | 21,349 | 82% | 34,567 |
| Cary, North Carolina | 114% | 23,777 | 57% | 41,637 |
| Chandler, Arizona | 109% | 46,661 | 17% | 22,101 |
| Roseville, California | 103% | 21,654 | 50% | 28,913 |
| Fayetteville, North Carolina | 103% | 52,933 | 41% | 26,771 |
| Murfreesboro, Tennessee | 100% | 27,354 | 81% | 30,089 |
| Moreno Valley, California | 98% | 40,122 | 21% | 20,950 |
| Santa Clarita, California | 93% | 32,632 | 22% | 24,858 |
| Fontana, California | 92% | 34,725 | 49% | 44,123 |
| Rancho Cucamonga, California | 91% | 29,920 | 19% | 17,055 |
| Broken Arrow, Oklahoma | 90% | 12,584 | 31% | 18,776 |
| Aurora, Illinois | 90% | 32,586 | 24% | 25,012 |
| Lewisville, Texas | 82% | 24,256 | 4% | 1,757 |
| Palm Bay, Florida | 81% | 15,077 | 22% | 13,095 |
| Plano, Texas | 80% | 43,589 | 10% | 15,949 |
| Sterling Heights, Michigan | 79% | 14,189 | -6% | -6,426 |
| Naperville, Illinois | 78% | 12,903 | 4% | 4,456 |
| Antioch, California | 78% | 19,343 | -1% | -348 |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | 77% | 158,342 | 39% | 125,203 |
| Killeen, Texas | 77% | 32,020 | 49% | 21,804 |
| Bakersfield, California | 75% | 67,215 | 37% | 57,585 |
| Pembroke Pines, Florida | 75% | 19,152 | 10% | 10,764 |
| Warren, Michigan | 74% | 17,475 | -18% | -20,588 |
| Palmdale, California | 74% | 23,948 | 20% | 16,712 |
| West Valley City, Utah | 73% | 18,245 | 10% | 8,659 |
| Pompano Beach, Florida | 71% | 20,817 | 16% | 7,166 |
| Raleigh, North Carolina | 69% | 80,430 | 63% | 89,670 |
| Sunrise Manor, Nevada | 68% | 38,613 | 0% | 407 |
| Clovis, California | 67% | 16,035 | 46% | 20,192 |
| Orlando, Florida | 66% | 67,679 | 22% | 17,276 |
| Gainesville, Florida | 65% | 26,738 | 8% | 3,215 |
| Wilmington, North Carolina | 64% | 22,464 | 42% | 15,637 |
| Aurora, Colorado | 64% | 58,978 | 12% | 22,254 |
| Lancaster, California | 64% | 26,459 | 21% | 14,887 |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | 62% | 112,334 | 10% | 30,335 |
| Clarksville, Tennessee | 62% | 24,512 | 34% | 20,536 |
| Overland Park, Kansas | 62% | 21,827 | 14% | 15,780 |
| Laredo, Texas | 59% | 33,407 | 38% | 44,917 |
| West Palm Beach, Florida | 57% | 20,233 | 14% | 5,735 |
| Visalia, California | 56% | 19,365 | 35% | 19,311 |
| Denton, Texas | 56% | 21,133 | 75% | 26,440 |
| McAllen, Texas | 56% | 19,454 | 20% | 13,948 |
| Carlsbad, California | 56% | 13,361 | 42% | 22,093 |
| Hillsboro, Oregon | 55% | 16,200 | 40% | 15,886 |
| Olathe, Kansas | 55% | 11,584 | 42% | 29,883 |
| Mesa, Arizona | 55% | 66,928 | 6% | 15,433 |
| Rochester, Minnesota | 55% | 10,277 | 27% | 17,370 |
| Glendale, Arizona | 55% | 37,428 | -10% | -15,354 |
| Fort Worth, Texas | 54% | 113,959 | 59% | 184,401 |
| Joliet, Illinois | 53% | 13,736 | 40% | 29,968 |
| Midland, Texas | 53% | 14,100 | 32% | 21,665 |
| Mesquite, Texas | 52% | 19,610 | 0% | -42 |
| Santa Maria, California | 52% | 19,586 | 25% | 9,166 |
| Bellevue, Washington | 52% | 19,018 | 14% | 10,185 |
| Columbia, Missouri | 51% | 18,345 | 37% | 14,910 |
| Richardson, Texas | 51% | 14,808 | 7% | 4,311 |
| Pueblo, Colorado | 51% | 16,185 | -14% | -9,589 |
| Chula Vista, California | 51% | 35,840 | 52% | 53,458 |
| Odessa, Texas | 51% | 13,336 | 19% | 11,731 |
| Phoenix, Arizona | 51% | 240,092 | 2% | 17,910 |
| Elgin, Illinois | 49% | 12,132 | 10% | 6,660 |
| Fort Collins, Colorado | 48% | 20,609 | 26% | 18,085 |
| High Point, North Carolina | 48% | 15,504 | 14% | 7,053 |
| Fargo, North Dakota | 47% | 18,226 | 17% | 8,078 |
| Tallahassee, Florida | 47% | 33,435 | 6% | 4,262 |
| Simi Valley, California | 47% | 10,863 | 5% | 4,161 |
| Corona, California | 47% | 17,267 | 24% | 21,336 |
| Austin, Texas | 46% | 143,994 | 36% | 115,930 |
| Allentown, Pennsylvania | 46% | 20,348 | -12% | -7,043 |
| Jacksonville, Florida | 45% | 109,799 | 4% | 17,734 |
| Grand Prairie, Texas | 44% | 19,538 | 51% | 42,056 |
| Kent, Washington | 43% | 16,329 | 72% | 29,383 |
| Norman, Oklahoma | 43% | 14,708 | 13% | 6,994 |
| Tempe, Arizona | 43% | 29,942 | -18% | -15,070 |
| North Charleston, South Carolina | 43% | 16,955 | 32% | 11,366 |
| Oxnard, California | 43% | 30,188 | 7% | 7,067 |
| Tampa, Florida | 43% | 52,128 | 6% | 9,589 |
| Carrollton, Texas | 42% | 14,711 | 10% | 7,246 |
| Lubbock, Texas | 42% | 32,002 | 11% | 13,090 |
| Paradise, Nevada | 42% | 39,091 | 7% | 6,662 |
| Scottsdale, Arizona | 42% | 22,253 | 10% | 14,267 |
| Sioux Falls, South Dakota | 42% | 15,986 | 36% | 29,540 |
| Colorado Springs, Colorado | 42% | 51,130 | 17% | 38,266 |
| Riverside, California | 42% | 40,073 | 14% | 21,653 |
| San Antonio, Texas | 42% | 175,120 | 20% | 142,501 |
| Lafayette, Louisiana | 41% | 15,738 | 1% | 559 |
| Des Moines, Iowa | 41% | 23,577 | -5% | -6,231 |
| Coral Springs, Florida | 41% | 15,026 | -3% | -2,094 |
| Chesapeake, Virginia | 40% | 18,053 | 11% | 15,924 |
| Thousand Oaks, California | 39% | 10,302 | 2% | 1,762 |
| Santa Rosa, California | 39% | 23,090 | 5% | 4,303 |
| Durham, North Carolina | 39% | 33,765 | 39% | 35,388 |
| Reno, Nevada | 38% | 32,920 | 28% | 25,213 |
| Greensboro, North Carolina | 38% | 35,476 | 20% | 24,119 |
| Lexington, Kentucky | 38% | 36,288 | 12% | 18,273 |
| Boise City, Idaho | 38% | 22,051 | 11% | 13,933 |
| Huntsville, Alabama | 37% | 19,741 | 11% | 10,706 |
| Springfield, Missouri | 37% | 22,686 | -11% | -8,526 |
| Charleston, South Carolina | 37% | 14,545 | 39% | 20,221 |
| Columbus, Ohio | 37% | 119,811 | 4% | 15,334 |
| Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 37% | 27,737 | 26% | 26,384 |
| Eugene, Oregon | 36% | 20,293 | 6% | 4,602 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska | 35% | 26,608 | 17% | 23,682 |
| Fairfield, California | 35% | 12,680 | 11% | 6,206 |
| Stockton, California | 34% | 39,472 | 17% | 20,957 |
| Billings, Montana | 34% | 9,356 | 17% | 9,823 |
| Albuquerque, New Mexico | 34% | 52,730 | 21% | 58,763 |
| Independence, Missouri | 34% | 11,094 | -9% | -7,069 |
| Westminster, Colorado | 34% | 8,955 | 2% | 1,759 |
| Salem, Oregon | 33% | 17,667 | 13% | 9,573 |
| Fort Wayne, Indiana | 33% | 22,547 | 26% | 34,266 |
| Nashville, Tennessee | 33% | 70,145 | 13% | 41,257 |
| Omaha, Nebraska | 33% | 42,743 | 12% | 29,407 |
| Oceanside, California | 33% | 19,657 | -5% | -5,287 |
| Indianapolis, Indiana | 33% | 91,957 | -4% | -19,505 |
| Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 33% | 20,078 | 9% | 7,654 |
| Vallejo, California | 32% | 12,859 | -11% | -8,332 |
| Denver, Colorado | 32% | 75,731 | 15% | 45,875 |
| St. Paul, Minnesota | 32% | 33,596 | -10% | -17,433 |
| Miami, Florida | 32% | 69,699 | 9% | 11,873 |
| Arvada, Colorado | 32% | 6,868 | 8% | 6,209 |
| Knoxville, Tennessee | 31% | 22,332 | -10% | -9,335 |
| San Bernardino, California | 31% | 25,407 | -1% | -529 |
| Hollywood, Florida | 31% | 14,580 | -4% | -3,645 |
| Athens-Clarke County, Georgia | 31% | 16,153 | 9% | 3,568 |
| Rialto, California | 31% | 8,661 | 4% | 2,533 |
| Fremont, California | 31% | 20,015 | 6% | 7,679 |
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 31% | 56,040 | 21% | 66,478 |
| Gresham, Oregon | 30% | 11,335 | 16% | 8,173 |
| Fresno, California | 30% | 63,281 | 13% | 27,425 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 30% | 157,778 | -11% | -100,288 |
| Seattle, Washington | 30% | 73,706 | 19% | 55,465 |
| Richmond, Virginia | 30% | 28,167 | -5% | -4,835 |
| Corpus Christi, Texas | 30% | 29,415 | 8% | 13,193 |
| Vancouver, Washington | 29% | 18,796 | 12% | 9,026 |
| Sandy Springs, Georgia | 29% | 12,069 | 14% | 6,124 |
| Salinas, California | 29% | 19,848 | -7% | -4,732 |
| Santa Clara, California | 28% | 14,592 | 12% | 5,910 |
| Columbia, Maryland | 28% | 7,111 | 14% | 8,406 |
| Memphis, Tennessee | 28% | 72,866 | -18% | -66,664 |
| Spokane, Washington | 28% | 19,299 | -3% | -3,621 |
| Sacramento, California | 27% | 52,808 | 15% | 30,461 |
| Everett, Washington | 27% | 12,022 | 11% | 4,858 |
| Brownsville, Texas | 27% | 13,833 | 32% | 28,267 |
| Rockford, Illinois | 27% | 13,335 | -15% | -13,997 |
| Chattanooga, Tennessee | 27% | 16,313 | 2% | 1,531 |
| St. Petersburg, Florida | 26% | 21,243 | -8% | -12,533 |
| El Paso, Texas | 26% | 52,137 | 16% | 59,575 |
| Portland, Oregon | 26% | 53,936 | 15% | 45,904 |
| Modesto, California | 26% | 19,710 | 1% | 1,378 |
| Madison, Wisconsin | 26% | 23,712 | 18% | 18,631 |
| Amarillo, Texas | 26% | 14,630 | 9% | 9,956 |
| San Jose, California | 26% | 84,962 | 7% | 40,160 |
| Wichita, Kansas | 25% | 28,333 | 7% | 16,013 |
| Irving, Texas | 25% | 27,191 | 21% | 16,723 |
| San Buenaventura, California | 25% | 9,862 | -1% | -384 |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota | 25% | 39,273 | -5% | -10,212 |
| Garland, Texas | 24% | 17,105 | 2% | 3,165 |
| Fullerton, California | 24% | 12,996 | 0% | 46 |
| Escondido, California | 24% | 14,789 | 3% | 1,924 |
| Tucson, Arizona | 24% | 46,722 | -3% | -8,758 |
| Evansville, Indiana | 23% | 9,611 | -15% | -11,096 |
| San Diego, California | 23% | 132,848 | 7% | 44,300 |
| Montgomery, Alabama | 23% | 15,802 | -11% | -13,035 |
| Abilene, Texas | 23% | 9,106 | -7% | -4,743 |
| Lansing, Michigan | 23% | 10,479 | -20% | -14,275 |
| Topeka, Kansas | 22% | 9,048 | -6% | -4,309 |
| Stamford, Connecticut | 22% | 10,437 | 3% | 1,942 |
| Kansas City, Kansas | 22% | 11,543 | -8% | -7,170 |
| Kansas City, Missouri | 22% | 35,410 | 0% | 340 |
| Houston, Texas | 22% | 214,149 | 10% | 97,865 |
| Sunnyvale, California | 22% | 13,896 | 9% | 5,756 |
| Clearwater, Florida | 22% | 8,441 | -3% | -1,849 |
| Grand Rapids, Michigan | 21% | 14,614 | -13% | -14,962 |
| Savannah, Georgia | 21% | 12,688 | -7% | -4,713 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia | 21% | 15,278 | -11% | -12,332 |
| Arlington, Texas | 20% | 26,904 | 14% | 27,005 |
| Richmond, California | 20% | 9,124 | 1% | 297 |
| Akron, Ohio | 20% | 15,789 | -26% | -34,951 |
| Alexandria, Virginia | 20% | 14,757 | 24% | 12,077 |
| Orange, California | 20% | 9,702 | 0% | 307 |
| Tacoma, Washington | 19% | 14,698 | 0% | -44 |
| Anchorage, Alaska | 19% | 17,451 | 12% | 19,458 |
| Hayward, California | 19% | 11,567 | 6% | 4,423 |
| Hialeah, Florida | 19% | 18,808 | -5% | -6,178 |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | 19% | 14,119 | -2% | -2,358 |
| Washington, DC | 18% | 54,896 | 17% | 41,180 |
| Ontario, California | 18% | 12,009 | 2% | 2,087 |
| Daly City, California | 18% | 6,672 | -6% | -3,802 |
| Pomona, California | 18% | 10,627 | -9% | -7,877 |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma | 17% | 27,588 | -7% | -15,678 |
| Elizabeth, New Jersey | 17% | 13,223 | -9% | -3,621 |
| El Cajon, California | 17% | 9,270 | -3% | -1,011 |
| Garden Grove, California | 17% | 11,387 | -2% | -2,130 |
| Berkeley, California | 17% | 8,247 | 5% | 2,233 |
| Springfield, Illinois | 16% | 5,718 | -4% | -2,622 |
| Virginia Beach, Virginia | 16% | 21,756 | 0% | 68 |
| Shreveport, Louisiana | 16% | 12,453 | -14% | -16,284 |
| Little Rock, Arkansas | 16% | 11,201 | 4% | 4,459 |
| Concord, California | 16% | 7,505 | -1% | -1,016 |
| Arlington, Virginia | 16% | 16,141 | 29% | 24,974 |
| Lakewood, Colorado | 16% | 7,963 | 1% | 776 |
| Pasadena, Texas | 16% | 9,242 | 4% | 2,996 |
| Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 16% | 14,615 | -9% | -10,949 |
| Cedar Rapids, Iowa | 16% | 4,637 | 6% | 5,280 |
| Waco, Texas | 16% | 8,280 | 19% | 9,856 |
| San Mateo, California | 15% | 5,874 | 10% | 4,945 |
| Torrance, California | 15% | 8,109 | 1% | 990 |
| Waterbury, Connecticut | 15% | 7,488 | -10% | -5,291 |
| Beaumont, Texas | 14% | 5,910 | -3% | -2,256 |
| Jersey City, New Jersey | 14% | 22,366 | 5% | 4,150 |
| Peoria, Illinois | 14% | 5,699 | -3% | -1,719 |
| Huntington Beach, California | 13% | 9,772 | 0% | 491 |
| Toledo, Ohio | 13% | 14,946 | -26% | -49,685 |
| Manchester, New Hampshire | 13% | 6,580 | -6% | -3,190 |
| Anaheim, California | 13% | 21,774 | -1% | -1,096 |
| Jackson, Mississippi | 13% | 9,156 | -21% | -22,355 |
| Columbia, South Carolina | 13% | 6,123 | 9% | 3,915 |
| Dallas, Texas | 12% | 75,467 | 7% | 39,736 |
| Springfield, Massachusetts | 12% | 8,683 | -8% | -6,014 |
| Downey, California | 12% | 5,633 | 3% | 1,479 |
| Norwalk, California | 11% | 3,841 | -2% | -1,538 |
| Metairie, Louisiana | 11% | 5,337 | -6% | -6,184 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | 11% | 23,359 | 12% | 21,768 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | 11% | 37,385 | 15% | 29,830 |
| Ann Arbor, Michigan | 10% | 5,235 | 2% | 964 |
| Norfolk, Virginia | 10% | 11,129 | -2% | -2,347 |
| Oakland, California | 10% | 21,408 | -2% | -3,094 |
| Pasadena, California | 9% | 6,455 | 1% | 591 |
| New Haven, Connecticut | 9% | 7,208 | 3% | 1,144 |
| Newport News, Virginia | 9% | 7,077 | -10% | -9,332 |
| Burbank, California | 9% | 4,716 | 0% | 103 |
| West Covina, California | 9% | 3,069 | 0% | -237 |
| Provo, Utah | 9% | 4,806 | 7% | 2,940 |
| San Francisco, California | 9% | 39,150 | 15% | 47,814 |
| Glendale, California | 9% | 10,086 | -5% | -4,135 |
| Los Angeles, California | 9% | 184,473 | 5% | 68,191 |
| Santa Ana, California | 8% | 13,886 | -10% | -15,772 |
| Bridgeport, Connecticut | 8% | 5,882 | 2% | 957 |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 8% | 23,452 | -8% | -21,939 |
| Worcester, Massachusetts | 7% | 6,475 | 5% | 3,704 |
| Baltimore, Maryland | 7% | 20,682 | -15% | -50,606 |
| Paterson, New Jersey | 7% | 6,857 | -13% | -6,689 |
| Birmingham, Alabama | 7% | 6,702 | -28% | -37,463 |
| Rochester, New York | 7% | 7,704 | -20% | -18,220 |
| Newark, New Jersey | 7% | 12,133 | -4% | -3,208 |
| Lowell, Massachusetts | 7% | 3,545 | 3% | 1,278 |
| Providence, Rhode Island | 7% | 6,329 | -1% | -909 |
| Mobile, Alabama | 6% | 4,404 | -11% | -13,250 |
| New York, New York | 6% | 283,643 | 10% | 273,782 |
| Costa Mesa, California | 5% | 3,095 | 6% | 2,419 |
| East Los Angeles, California | 3% | 2,671 | -6% | -2,977 |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 3% | 4,275 | -19% | -34,914 |
| Long Beach, California | 3% | 8,347 | 1% | 2,217 |
| Syracuse, New York | 3% | 1,999 | -14% | -8,337 |
| Green Bay, Wisconsin | 2% | 694 | 1% | 859 |
| Hampton, Virginia | 1% | 620 | -4% | -2,839 |
| Inglewood, California | 1% | 491 | -6% | -2,495 |
| Hartford, Connecticut | 0% | 386 | 0% | -7 |
| Buffalo, New York | -1% | -1,312 | -22% | -29,684 |
| St. Louis, Missouri | -2% | -4,043 | -17% | -29,185 |
| Chicago, Illinois | -3% | -44,201 | -9% | -128,668 |
| Yonkers, New York | -3% | -3,679 | 9% | 8,067 |
| Cincinnati, Ohio | -4% | -7,625 | -17% | -23,677 |
| Cleveland, Ohio | -5% | -10,442 | -32% | -78,550 |
| Dayton, Ohio | -7% | -4,598 | -26% | -22,299 |
| El Monte, California | -8% | -5,473 | 12% | 5,192 |
| Detroit, Michigan | -17% | -68,222 | -37% | -196,592 |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | -22% | -51,640 | -18% | -40,679 |
SOURCE: 2017 5-year ACS, 2000 Census
View additional renting data for all cities.
