RentCafe: Southern Cities Deemed Top Spots for Renters in 2025

(Image courtesy of Eddie Ortiz)

RentCafe, Santa Barbara, Calif., released a report on the best cities for renters in 2025, naming McKinney, Texas, as the top location.

McKinney, Texas, took the highest spot on the list due to its affordability and quality of life, the report noted, saying that the city has a lower-than-average cost of living, a large share of high-end apartments and consistent job growth.

No. 2 was Sarasota, Fla., followed by Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Huntsville, Ala.; Wilmington, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Round Rock, Texas; Raleigh, N.C.; and Orlando, Fla.

Charleston fell after holding the No. 1 spot the past two years.

The worst-ranked city on the list was Anaheim, Calif., followed by Sunnyvale, Calif., Queens, N.Y., Manhattan, N.Y., and Stockton, Calif.

RentCafe compiles the report based on 20 metrics split into three categories: cost of living and housing, local economy and quality of life. It analyzed 150 cities across the U.S.

The firm also selected winners in each of those categories. Winning the “cost of living and housing” category is Myrtle Beach, S.C. Ranked last in that category is Manhattan, N.Y.

For “local economy,” Miami took the top spot, with Detroit finishing last.

And for “quality of life,” Washington, D.C., won the top spot, with San Marcos, Texas, in last.