Renters Raising Families Eyeing the Lone Star State

The analytical team at RentCafe, in a report authored by Creative Writer Adina Dragos, examined cities across the country, and considered a multitude of factors—such as cost of living, local incomes, share of renter-occupied households, applicants per vacant unit, lease renewal rates, school quality, and things to do with children, to name a few—in order to determine the metro areas that are most attractive to renters with families.

According to the team, there are 68 million Americans who are raising children while renting their home. They report that after considering 140 cities in the U.S. "to see what they could offer for renters with children," they found that "the South overwhelmingly provides the best options."

The top five on RentCafe's "Best Places for Renter Families in 2023" include:

1. Plano, Texas
The Texas town of Plano ranked tops on the list for local economy and quality of life. “Plano hits that sweet, sweet spot between urban and suburban,” the authors note in their findings.

Plus, Texas, whose San Antonio and Austin also took top-10 spots on RentCafe’s list, is also ranked one of the best states for property owners/investors, according to LandlordForm’s “Eight Best States to Invest in Real Estate in 2023.” Population growth, job growth, and affordability made the Lone Star State seventh on that list.

2. Scottsdale, Arizona
Also cited for its good local economy and quality of life, and being a nice place both to raise a family or to retire, Scottsdale, Arizona ranked second on RentCafe's list, as “The West’s Most Western Town” is a great choice for those seeking more than 330 sunny days per year.

3. Arlington, Virginia
Home to major corporations like Boeing and BAE Systems, and boasting a metro with more than half the population renting, the Virginia town of Arlington ranked third as a top city for renters with children. Arlington ranked third for quality of life and second for local economy in RentCafe's analysis.

4. Marietta, Georgia
A favorite for its cost of living and housing ranking, Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta—which also boasts some of the largest apartment floor plans in the nation—came in fourth according to RentCafe analysts. Due to its larger-than-average apartments, Marietta also ranked as a great place for renters looking for more space for their family.

5. Sunnyvale, California
Rounding out the top five cities for renters and their families was Sunnyvale, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Sunnyvale snagged one of the study’s top spots not only in local economy, but also in quality of life, “thanks to its high-quality schools and access to green spaces,” the authors note.

Rounding out the top 10, in order, of RentCafe's "Best Places for Renter Families in 2023" were:

• Round Rock, Texas
• Austin, Texas
• Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Ann Arbor, Michigan

The full list of "Best Places for Renter Families in 2023" with methodology is available at rentcafe.com.