The rising cost of living in the United States has caused a lot of Americans to move from urban hubs to smaller cities. This ongoing migration, however, has resulted in rent hikes across the nations. So, if you are planning to move to a more affordable place without leaving the country, what cities should you actually consider? Read on to find out the cheapest cities to rent an apartment in the US, according to national consumer resource Rent.
Top 10 cheapest cities to rent an apartment in America
To determine the cheapest cities to rent an apartment in the US, Rent. looked at rental data from its multifamily rental property inventory for one- and two-bedroom units over August 2022 and August 2021 in every city in the country with a population of over 50,000. A single measure of price for both unit types per time period was then calculated using a weighted average based on the number of available units.
The calculations revealed that Springfield, Missouri carries the cheapest rent of any city in the nation by far. The birthplace of Route 66 and the home of Missouri State University, Springfield has an average rent of just $662 a month ― a decrease of $63 year-over-year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city only has about 167,000 residents as of August 2022.
Below are the top 10 cheapest cities to rent an apartment in the US, along with their average monthly rent cost in 2022:
- #1 Springfield, Missouri – $662
- #2 Wichita, Kansas – $693
- #3 Ames, Iowa – $709
- #4 Jonesboro, Arkansas – $750
- #5 Lubbock, Texas – $762
- #6 Port Arthur, Texas – $813
- #7 Sioux Falls, South Dakota – $827
- #8 Victoria, Texas – $841
- #9 Jackson, Mississippi – $891
- #10 Toledo, Ohio – $897
US states with most cities with the cheapest rent
Among all US states, Texas has the most cities with the cheapest rent. In addition to Lubbock, Port Arthur, and Victoria, which are in the top 10, 15 other cities in Texas made it to the top 100 cheapest cities to rent in America. These 15 Texas cities are as follows:
- #14 El Paso – $929
- #16 Baytown – $949
- #18 Angelo – $972
- #21 College Station – $997
- #22 Pearland – $1007
- #27 Beaumont – $1071
- #28 Pasadena – $1082
- #34 Corpus Christi – $1152
- #44 Midland – $1232
- #51 San Antonio – $1257
- #59 Arlington – $1298
- #65 Fort Worth – $1341
- #68 Euless – $ $1348
- #72 North Richland Hills – $1373
- #79 Texas City – $1461
Following Texas is North Carolina, taking the No. 2 spot with 10 cities out of the 100 cheapest cities to rent an apartment in the country. North Carolina cities of Chapel Hill, Charlotte, and Greensboro all made the list, with rents less than $1,600 per month, on average.
Most North Carolina cities, however, are in the bottom half of the Top 100 since some of them like Burlington experienced an increase of $442 in rents year-over-year. Only the North Carolina city of High Point scored a spot in the top 20 cheapest cities to rent in the U.S.
Northeast vs Midwest vs South vs West
The U.S. Census divides the country into four geographic regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. And according to Rent., the Midwest and South continue to have the greatest number of cities with affordable rents, with prices well below the national average in states like Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, and Texas. Additionally, over half of the top 100 — 55 cities to be exact — are in the Southern region.
Check out the top 100 cheapest cities to rent an apartment in the US in the interactive map below:
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