The 10 Most (and Least) Affordable Cities for Renters in 2025

Renting a place to live is increasingly expensive in the U.S. A report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found that in 2023, half of America’s renters paid 30 percent or more of their income on rent, and a quarter paid 50 percent or more, according to NerdWallet. Nationally, rent prices were 3.5 percent higher in March 2025 than in March 2024, a Zillow report discovered. To help people find affordable places, the personal finance site WalletHub compiled a list of the cities where rent is reasonably priced.

Analysts used U.S. Census Bureau data on 182 U.S. cities. These metro areas include 150 of the most densely-populated cities in the nation and at least two of the most populous cities in each state. WalletHub compared each city’s median annual gross rent as a percentage of its median annual household income. 

Cities with the Most Affordable Rent Prices

The study shows that Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota, has the most affordable rent among the cities analyzed. The mean annual gross rent is about 15.34 percent of the median household income. Right after Bismarck is Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where rent costs about 15.95 percent of the median income. Cheyenne, Wyoming, rounds out the top three most affordable cities for renters, with residents spending about 16.1 percent on rent. 

Here are the rest of the top 10 most affordable cities for renters in 2025:

1. Bismarck, North Dakota
2. South Dakota, Sioux Falls
3. Cheyenne, Wyoming
4. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
5. Fargo, North Dakota
6. Charleston, West Virginia
7. Casper, Wyoming
8. Overland Park, Kansas
9. Juneau, Alaska
10. Anchorage, Alaska

The Most Expensive Cities for Renters

On the other end of the spectrum is Miami, Florida. Not only has it been ranked the rudest city in the U.S., but residents also pay a big chunk of their income on housing. People in the area can expect to pay 33.48 percent of their income toward rent. Meanwhile, those in Newark, New Jersey, and New Haven, Connecticut, fork over 32.96 and 32.18 percent, respectively. Many cities that are notorious for being expensive, like New York City and San Francisco, fall somewhere near the middle of the WalletHub’s list.

Here are the top 10 most expensive cities for renters in 2025:

1. Miami, Florida
2. Newark, New Jersey
3. New Haven, Connecticut
4. Detroit, Michigan
5. Glendale, California
6. Bridgeport, Connecticut
7. Orlando, Florida
8. Birmingham, Alabama
9. Oceanside, California
10. Jackson, Mississippi

Home buyers may want to check out these lists of the most and least expensive cities for housing in the U.S.

Read More Lists: