The number crunchers at WalletHub are back with another housing-focused data report, this time highlighting 2026’s Best & Worst Places to Rent.
For this report, WalletHub’s analysts compared 182 cities based on 21 key indicators focused on local rental housing markets and quality of life issues.
The report listed a trio of Arizona cities – Scottsdale, Gilbert and Chandler – as the top three localities as the Best Places to Rent. A fourth Arizona city, Peoria, placed sixth, with fourth and fifth place rankings going to Overland Park, Kansas, and Columbia, Maryland.
At the bottom of the list, Detroit was ranked the Worst Place to Rent, with the other bottom feeder localities including Cleveland, Mississippi’s capital of Jackson, Memphis, and Akron, Ohio.
The report also found Bismarck, North Dakota, has the highest rental affordability, with the lowest median annual gross rent divided by median annual household income at 15.29%. This is 2.4 times lower than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the lowest at 36.46%.
Charleston, West Virginia has the highest rental vacancy rate, which is 8.5 times higher than in Nashua, New Hampshire, the city among the lowest. Newark, New Jersey, has the highest share of renter-occupied housing units, which is 4.7 times higher than in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the city with the lowest.
Brownsville, Texas, has the lowest cost-of-living index, which is 2.4 times lower than in Honolulu and New York City, the cities with the highest. And Warwick, Rhode Island, has the fewest violent crimes (per 1,000 residents), which is 31.7 times fewer than in Memphis, Tennessee, the city with the most.
“In the best cities for renters, rent can cost you as little as around 15% of your income,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst. “You’ll also have access to robust laws that protect renters, such as limiting deposits to only a month or two of rent. Our study also considers quality-of-life factors such as a city’s traffic congestion, job market or recreation options to make sure you can get a good living experience, not just inexpensive housing.”
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