Four of the 10 best cities for renters were in Arizona.
Jeremy Poland/Getty Images
WalletHub ranked nearly 200 cities based on rental market and quality of life.
Six of the 10 best cities to rent in are in the Sun Belt.
Arizona cities scored particularly high on the list.
The buy vs. rent pendulum is always swinging, but some cities cater better to those already set on renting.
WalletHub analyzed 182 markets based on two factors: rental market & affordability, and quality of life. Every city was graded on a 100-point scale using 21 metrics, like the share of renters and the job market.
The Midwest and Sun Belt have been duking it out for the title of best region to live in in recent years, but one Sun Belt state west of the Mississippi River made the biggest splash on WalletHub’s list: Arizona.
On the whole, the state of Arizona hasn’t been a popular choice, but for renters, it checks some important boxes. Chandler, Gilbert, and Scottsdale, Arizona, all finished in the top five in quality-of-life rankings, with Scottsdale ranking first.
US News & World Report ranked Arizona 17th in employment, and according to WalletHub, a majority of renters in all three cities spend less than 22% of their income on rent.
As for the cities on the opposite end of the spectrum, unsurprisingly, they ranked low in rental market & affordability, and quality of life, with rankings not exceeding 123rd for either category.
Read below to see which cities are good for renters, and which ones aren’t.
Worst cities for renters
Posnov/Getty Images
10. Shreveport, LA
Shreveport, Louisiana.
Sean Pavone/Getty Images
Total score: 38.08
Rental market & affordability rank: 123
Quality of life rank: 179
9. Huntington, WV
Huntington, West Virginia.
Posnov/Getty Images
Total score: 38.02
Rental market & affordability rank: 143
Quality of life rank: 172
8. Augusta, GA
Short-term rental prices in Augusta, Georgia, surge during Master’s week.
