Atlanta Has Been Declared (Almost) the Best City in the US for Renters Right Now

Atlanta beat out 149 other cities in an annual study that uses lengthy criteria to determine the best U.S. cities for renters to move to.

With its robust local economy, relatively favorable cost of living and plentiful rental options, Atlanta ranked second on the list of “Best Cities to Live in for Renters in 2024,” an analysis of 150 cities compiled by national apartment search website RentCafe.com.

Only Charleston, South Carolina, performed better on 20 indicators that RentCafe applied to all cities, as opposed to metropolitan areas.

Sarasota ranks just behind Atlanta in third place, and overall, the South took 38 of the top 50 spots among the best cities to rent this year. (Cobb County’s largest city, Marietta, also topped the list at No. 22.)

RentCafe’s barometer looked at 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.

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

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

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

Atlanta finished ninth in cost of living and housing (1.4 percent below the national average, according to the study), with relatively large apartments (972 square feet on average) and 60 percent of them being classified as “upscale,” according to RentCafe. (The company’s star rating system gives Atlanta renters’ satisfaction with housing and amenities an overall rating of 4.1 stars out of 5.)

The city of Charleston edged out Atlanta in several metrics to take the top spot, though with less than half the population of Atlanta (and much less competition for rentals), the comparison isn’t always accurate.

Still, Charleston had the highest job growth (4.1 percent) of the cities analyzed and an unemployment rate (3.7 percent) below the national average. Additionally, nearly a third of all rentals in the Holy City were considered newly constructed.

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