Atlanta declared (almost) best city in U.S. for renters right now

Atlanta has edged out 149 other places in an annual study that uses a lengthy criteria to determine the best U.S. cities for renters to call home.

With its robust local economy, relatively favorable cost of living, and plentiful renting options, the City of Atlanta landed at No. 2 on the “Best Cities for Renters to Live in 2024” list, an analysis of 150 cities compiled by national apartment search website RentCafe.com.

Only Charleston, S.C., scored better across 20 metrics that RentCafe applied to all cities, as opposed to metro areas.  

Sarasota landed just behind Atlanta in third place, and overall the South claimed 38 of the top 50 slots for best cities in which to rent this year. (Cobb County’s largest city, Marietta, also finished high on the list at No. 22).  

RentCafe’s barometer examined factors such as economic strength, apartment quality, traffic, air quality, and natural amenities, which were then grouped into three categories: quality of life, cost of living and housing, and local economy.

According to analysts, Atlanta shined in the local economy category (No. 4 overall), with renters in the city seeing a 44.6 percent income increase over the course of the past five years. (No, that’s not a typo.)

The second-highest number of yearly business applications (472) and a 1 percent annual job growth rate were also plusses for Atlanta, per the study.

Entrepreneurship opportunities and the presence of major employers such as Delta Air Lines, UPS, Cox Enterprises, and Home Depot helped Atlanta live up to another apparent nickname, the “Silicon Peach,” according to RentCafe.

Atlanta finished in ninth place for cost of living and housing (1.4 percent below the national average, per the study), with apartments here boasting relatively large 972-square-foot floorplans on average, and 60 percent of those qualifying as “high-end,” per RentCafe. (The company’s star-rating system puts Atlanta renter satisfaction with housing and amenities at 4.1 stars of 5 overall.)

The City of Charleston edged Atlanta in several metrics to take the top spot, though with less than half of Atlanta’s population (and far less competition for rentals), the comparison isn’t always apples-to-apples.   

Nonetheless, Charleston boasted the highest job growth (4.1 percent) among cities analyzed and an unemployment rate (3.7 percent) below the national average. Plus, nearly one-third of all rentals in The Holy City qualified as being newly built.

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