September Rental Activity Report: Arlington, VA, Takes the Lead as Most Sought-After City, Queens Secures 3rd Spot

• Arlington, VA, is the most in-demand city for renters in our September rental activity report, making the list for the third consecutive month.
• High interest in apartments in Kansas City, MO, places it second nationally.
• New York City’s Queens is the highest-ranking Northeastern location this month and third in the national ranking.
• Midwestern cities are attracting the most interest from apartment seekers and dominating the top 10.

Renting is the new buying as home prices are still high and September ushers in a slow transition from the peak rental season. But, which cities are seeing the most listing activity and attracting the most attention from apartment hunters?

Arlington, VA, is this month’s most in-demand city for renters, leading our top 30 for the third consecutive month — a first for our rental activity report. Kansas City, MO, follows, occupying the second spot on our list, the same as last month. Queens takes September’s bronze medal after its surge in popularity among renters helped it jump 10 places in one month. Overland Park, KS, comes next at #4 after climbing seven places in our ranking of the most searched cities by renters. Atlanta is fifth this month, two spots higher than in August. Apartment listings in these cities saw the most engagement on RentCafe.com due to high rates of rental properties saved to favorites, personalized searches, scarce unit availability and overall high listing views.

The Midwest is September’s most popular region for renters with 11 cities on our list, including five in the top 10. Not far behind, the South and West each claim eight entries, while the Northeast counts only three locations although two are among the top 10 most in-demand places for renters. As students return for another college year, renters continue searching for apartments in smaller cities and suburban locations that offer a mix of good schools, job opportunities and amenities. This helped places like Chula Vista, CA; Tacoma, WA; and Grand Prairie, TX, make our ranking for the first time.

However, the perks of living in a big city are still driving the rental search for many apartment hunters. Consequently, this boosted New York City’s Queens climb to the third spot this month, while the Bronx ranked sixth, the same as it did in August. Plus, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago are still part of our top 30 most sought-after cities by renters, which confirms the everlasting appeal of urban living.

Arlington leads as most popular rental destination in September

Below are this month’s top 10 cities for rental activity, as well as the biggest shifts in the last 30 days.

1. Arlington, VA

Located just across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital, Arlington, VA, is September’s most sought-after city by renters. In fact, this is Arlington’s third month as the #1 rental destination on RentCafe.com, which is a first for our report. The city continues to attract apartment hunters — mainly from Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, our data shows — due to its great mix of amenities, job opportunities and proximity to educational facilities now that the new school year has kicked off.

Here, increased rental demand led to an 18% drop in available apartments compared to last September. At the same time, engagement numbers for apartment listings in the city nearly tripled year-over-year: Page views are up 184%, favorited apartments increased by 188% and saved personalized searches rose by 169%.

2. Kansas City, MO

The Midwest’s highest-ranking city for a second month in a row is Kansas City at #2 in September, the same as last month. This popular rental destination hasn’t dropped below the fifth spot since the start of this year’s rental season, and it even came out on top in May and June. Our research shows that KCMO is a favorite for apartment hunters from Chicago and Denver, in addition to those already living in the city.

KCMO’s appeal for renters is reflected in the increased traffic that its rental listings attract. The number of page views for Kansas City listings increased by 162% year-over-year as renters added nearly a quadruple number of properties to their favorites list. Plus, apartment hunters are actively searching for the perfect rental here as the number of saved personalized searches for this location rose by 197% compared to last September.

3. Queens, NY

Renters continue to love living in New York City, which led to Queens jumping an impressive 10 spots to #3. Its cultural diversity and overall suburban vibe make NYC’s largest borough a popular destination for renters.

Demand for apartments here led to a 71% drop in available listings on RentCafe.com, which is this month’s most significant decrease among all 150 cities we analyzed for our rental activity report. Meanwhile, traffic for Queens apartment listings more than tripled compared to last September, while renters favorited 12% more rentals.

4. Overland Park, KS

This KCMO suburb has been a constant presence in our top 30 most in-demand cities for renters. This month, it ranks fourth after climbing seven places since August, confirming the Midwest’s growing popularity among renters. Overland Park is a top choice for renters from KCMO and Kansas City, KS, looking to move to the suburbs, according to our research.

Overland Park stands out as the city with the highest year-over-year increase in favorited apartments (612%) this month, which shows renters’ clear determination to move to this thriving city with a friendly vibe. Plus, views of listings pages doubled and saved personalized searches rose by 19%. And, if you add in an 8% decrease in available apartments, you'll find a highly popular location for renters that's slowly making its way closer to the top spot.

5. Atlanta

Atlanta rounds out our top five this month, ranking two spots higher than it did in August. Clearly, its overall appeal, more affordable cost of living and diverse economy continues to attract renter interest. To that end, Atlanta hasn’t dropped below the seventh spot in our rental activity report since April, when it came in at #1.

The city attracts significant traffic from apartment hunters on RentCafe.com, particularly New Yorkers looking to relocate, which helped the city rank high. Metrics like listings page views and favorited apartments also inched up 6% compared to one year ago.

6. Bronx, NY

Up north, the Bronx continues to wow renters with its renovated apartment buildings, economic revival, cultural heritage and overall affordability compared to other NYC boroughs. This helped the location rank high on our list: This month, it finished at #6, the same as it did in August.

Interest for renter life in the Bronx led to a significant 31% drop in available apartments and a 153% rise in listings page views compared to last September. Renters also added 171% more properties to their favorites list and saved 27% more personalized searches, which shows their commitment to finding a new place to rent here.

7. Minneapolis

Minneapolis continues its four-month streak in the top 10 most in-demand cities for renters. But, this time, it came in at #7 — four spots lower than in August. Even so, renters love this Midwestern city and are planning to relocate here from larger or more expensive cities. For example, our research shows that Minneapolis is a top rental destination for those looking to move away from Chicago, Dallas and even New York City.

High demand for Minneapolis apartments led to a 21% drop in available rentals, while listings traffic on RentCafe.com more than doubled compared to last September. Plus, renters saved 62% more personalized searches for Minneapolis apartments than they did a year ago. This helped the city rank high on our list, solidifying the Midwest’s status as this month’s most popular region for apartment seekers.

8. Cincinnati

Speaking of the Midwest, Cincinnati occupies the eighth spot in our September rental activity report after dropping four places since last month. Still, Ohio’s third most populous city is buzzing with rental activity. Most apartment hunters looking for a place here are residents of the city, followed by renters from Columbus, OH; Washington, D.C., suburb Ashburn, VA; New York City; Atlanta; and Chicago.

In Cincinnati, high rental demand led to an 8% year-over-year drop in available listings on RentCafe.com, a 56% rise in page views and a 115% increase in favorited apartments. This shows apartment hunters’ clear intent to move to one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing cities.

9. Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque is September’s highest-ranking Western city at #9, one spot lower than in August. A veteran of our top 10 most in-demand cities for renters, Albuquerque managed to stay among renters’ preferences throughout this entire rental season. When it comes to out-of-state apartment seekers, New Mexico’s largest city is a top choice for renters looking to relocate from Phoenix.

The number of page views for Albuquerque apartment listings on RentCafe.com nearly quadrupled compared to last September. Plus, renters added 37% more properties to their favorites list than a year ago, reflecting their clear intention to move here.

10. Omaha, NE

Omaha is September’s highest-ranking new entry at #10 after jumping a whopping 22 spots since last month. Located on the Missouri River, Nebraska’s largest city has been a top favorite for renters this rental season, even managing to rank fourth in our July rental activity report. That said, it missed our top 30 in August, which makes it a new entry this month. Yet, when it comes to interest from out-of-state renters, Omaha is a top choice for those looking to relocate from Chicago and Denver.

As a result of high interest, page views for Omaha apartment listings doubled compared to last September, while the number of favorited apartments nearly quadrupled. At the same time, the number of available apartments in the city rose by a mere 8% year-over-year, which didn’t provide renters with too many extra options.

The Midwest reigns supreme as September’s most popular region for renters

America’s heartland is September’s most sought-after region by renters: The Midwest’s more affordable, settled, yet vibrant lifestyle attracted renters’ interest and put 11 cities in the region on our top 30 list. The South and the West each claim eight spots in this month’s ranking, while the Northeast only has three entries.

Kansas City, MO, is this month’s most in-demand Midwestern city for renters at #2, followed by Overland Park, KS, at #4. Minneapolis (#9) and Cincinnati (#10) continue as popular rental destinations for one more month after remaining among the top 10 most sought-after cities by renters throughout peak rental season. Otherwise, Minneapolis’ twin city — St. Paul, MN, (#12) — as well as Omaha, NE, (#10) and St. Louis (#26) are the Midwestern newcomers for this edition of our rental activity report. Of note, Columbus, OH, (#28); Chicago (#29); and Indianapolis (#30) all lost a few spots since last month, but are all long-standing renter favorites in our ranking.

The South only counts two cities in September’s top 10 — leader Arlington, VA, and Atlanta at #5. Plus, the region’s Grand Prairie, TX, (#25) and Knoxville, TN, (#27) have all made our top 30 for the first time. And, Southern top rental destination Orlando, FL, is still on the list at #20 in September.

Albuquerque is this month’s top rental destination in the West, ranking ninth, followed by Aurora, CO (#11); Portland, OR (#13); Denver (#15) and Gilbert, AZ (#22). Specifically, available rental listings in Gilbert decreased by 60% year-over-year due to demand, second only to Queens in this month’s report. The region also counts three new entries: Washington’s Spokane (#18) and Tacoma (#21), as well as California’s Chula Vista (#19).

On the East Coast, NYC’s Queens made an impressive climb and won this month’s bronze medal due to high engagement rates on RentCafe.com, while the Bronx remained in the top 10 at #6. Philadelphia — the Northeast’s third and last entry in our top 30 — ranked 23rd this month, 11 spots lower than in August.

Meet the newcomers: Charming suburban cities in the West & South gained renters’ attention

Nearly one-third of the top 30 most popular cities for renters are new entries in our September rental activity report. The highest-ranking newcomer is Omaha, NE, at #10. Although Warren Buffet’s hometown had been previously part of our ranking, it missed August’s edition of our rental report, thereby making it a new entry this month.

Other top rental destinations in the Midwest that made their debut in our September report are St. Paul, MN, (#12) and St. Louis (#26). In particular, high demand in Minnesota’s St. Paul saw a 16% decline in available apartments compared to last September and a 73% rise in listings page views. At the same time, the number of favorited apartments increased by 152%, which pushed this location up 47 places since last month.

However, this edition’s most impressive climb was the 90-spot jump managed by San Diego suburb Chula Vista. This California city saw a remarkable 42% drop in available listings on RentCafe.com and a 48% year-over-year increase in traffic. Plus, renters added 15% more properties to their favorites list and saved 57% more personalized searches, indicating their solid intention to move here. Other Western destinations that entered our top 30 this month are Spokane (#18) and Tacoma (#21) in Washington. Both saw a nearly 70% rise in listings traffic versus one year ago, but Spokane stands out with triple the number of favorited properties by renters.

The South’s Columbus, GA (#16); Grand Prairie, TX (#25) and Knoxville, TN (#27) complete our new entries list this month.

Here's the full list of cities analyzed and their scores:

Methodology

RentCafe.com is a nationwide apartment search website that enables renters to easily find apartments and houses for rent throughout the U.S.

To compile this report, the research team analyzed RentCafe.com’s rental listing data across the 150 largest cities by population in the contiguous U.S. and with a relevant listing inventory sample. The regions are defined according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The cities were ranked based on a city-level rental activity score. Full points were awarded to the most desirable city for a particular metric, while the zero-point level was set slightly below the worst city’s value. Cities that lacked sufficient information regarding specific metrics were awarded zero points.

Beginning in August 2023, the city that obtained the highest total score was awarded 100 points and all total scores of the following cities were adjusted accordingly.

To calculate each city’s score, we ranked them according to four metrics and their averages as of the most current month in 2023 versus the same month in 2022.

1. Availability Rate (Maximum score: 40 points)

The availability rate score was calculated by dividing the total vacant units at the city level for the most recent month by the total units and a year-over-year comparison of the same. The lowest rate received maximum points.

2. Page Views (Maximum score: 30 points)

The page views score was calculated as the total number of monthly page views for the most recent month at the city level divided by the total renter population in the city and a year-over-year comparison of the same. Page views are defined as a unique user interaction on a specific page, in a 30-minute window.

3. Favorites (Maximum score: 15 points)

The favorites score was calculated as the total monthly rental listings added to favorites at the city level for the most current month divided by the total renter population in the city and a year-over-year comparison of the same. A favorite is defined as a rental listing saved to favorites by a website visitor.

4. Saved Searches (Maximum score: 15 points)

The saved searches score was calculated as the total number of monthly saved searches at the city level for the most current month divided by the total renter population in the city and a year-over-year comparison of the same. A saved search is defined as a filtered/personalized apartment search saved by a website visitor.

Fair use and redistribution

We encourage you and freely grant you permission to reuse, host, or repost the research, graphics, and images presented in this article. When doing so, we ask that you credit our research by linking to RentCafe.com or this page, so that your readers can learn more about this project, the research behind it and its methodology. For more in-depth, customized data, please contact us at media@rentcafe.com.