- Renters have more than high rent costs to think about when finding a place to live.
- SmartAsset released a report on the best places to live in the US for renters based on seven metrics, from unemployment rate to average commute time.
- Turns out, the Midwest is a great area for renters: Four cities made it into the top 10.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
In a time when the cost of rent is so high that a minimum-wage worker needs 2.5 full-time jobs to afford rent for a one-bedroom apartment in most of the US, finding an affordable place to live can seem like an endless, disheartening game.
But renters, who spent a record amount of money on housing in 2017, don’t have just costs to worry about – they also need to look at factors like distance to work and safety.
SmartAsset took all of this into consideration in its recent report on the best cities for renters. The company looked at data for 96 cities, comparing them across seven different metrics: rent-to-income ratio, percent of housing stock dedicated to renting, eviction rate, density of entertainment establishments, crime rate, unemployment rate, and average commute time.
Read more: The 20 worst US cities for financial stability
SmartAsset ranked each city in every metric, then weighted all metrics equally to calculate each city's average ranking, which determined the final list.
California is the most represented state, with seven cities making the list. Turns out, the Midwest is a great area for renters, too, with six cities making the top 25.
Below, see the best 25 places to live for renters, ranked. All rent prices are sourced from Zillow and represent the median for all rentals in the metro area.
25. Yonkers, New York
Median rent: $2,038
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 44.3%
Unemployment rate: 4.9%
24. Anaheim, California
Median rent: $3,200
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 40.1%
Unemployment rate: 3.1%
23. Cincinnati, Ohio
Median rent: $1,353
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 56.1%
Unemployment rate: 4.2%
22. Santa Ana, California
Median rent: $2,600
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 38.5%
Unemployment rate: 3.1%
21. Columbus, Ohio
Median rent: $1,350
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 56.6%
Unemployment rate: 3.8%
T19. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Median rent: $1,200
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 56%
Unemployment rate: 4.7%
T19. Los Angeles, California
Median rent: $3,200
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 43.7%
Unemployment rate: 4.7%
17. Henderson, Nevada
Median rent: $1,319
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 55.6%
Unemployment rate: 5.0%
16. Seattle, Washington
Median rent: $2,400
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 57.1%
Unemployment rate: 3.7%
15. Virginia Beach, VA
Median rent: $1,400
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 55.7%
Unemployment rate: 3.2%
14. Lexington, Kentucky
Median rent: $1,195
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 56.1%
Unemployment rate: 3.8%
13. New York, New York
Median rent: $3,000
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 49.3%
Unemployment rate: 4.1%
T12. Glendale, California
Median rent: $2,950
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 39.6%
Unemployment rate: 4.7%
T12. Jersey City, New Jersey
Median rent: $2,250
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 56.9%
Unemployment rate: 4.4%
10. Omaha, Nebraska
Median rent: $1,350
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 57.9%
Unemployment rate: 3.4%
9. Irving, Texas
Median rent: $1,950
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 67%
Unemployment rate: 4.0%
8. Nashville, Tennessee
Median rent: $1,695
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 57.3%
Unemployment rate: 2.7%
7. San Diego, California
Median rent: $2,723
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 47.5%
Unemployment rate: 3.5%
6. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Median rent: $1,700
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 54.3%
Unemployment rate: 2.9%
5. St. Paul, Minnesota
Median rent: $1,700
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 51.7%
Unemployment rate: 3.1%
4. San Francisco, California
Median rent: $3,410
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 64.2%
Unemployment rate: 2.6%
T3. Irvine, California
Median rent: $2,143
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 54.2%
Unemployment rate: 3.1%
T3. Boston, Massachusetts
Median rent: $2,600
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 51.7%
Unemployment rate: 3.3%
2. Austin, Texas
Median rent: $1,700
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 54.9%
Unemployment rate: 3.0%
1. Madison, Wisconsin
Median rent: $1,600
Renters who spend 30% of income or less on rent: 51.1%
Unemployment rate: 2.6%