Amid the peak summer rental season, RentCafe has measured where renters can get the most space on a monthly budget of $1,500.
After ranking 200 cities using data from sister company Yardi Matrix, over half of the top 20 large markets offering the most space for $1,500 are in the Southeast and Southwest. Midwest markets make up the rest of the top 20.
On average, renters get 729 square feet of space for a monthly rent of $1,500 nationwide. RentCafe found that 62% of the 200 largest cities have more space than the national average for that budget price point.
Wichita, Kansas, and Toledo, Ohio, top the list with 1,359 and 1,345 square feet, respectively, for a monthly rent of $1,500. Two Oklahoma cities follow, with Oklahoma City coming in at 1,302 square feet for that price point, which typically means a three-bedroom unit, and Tulsa at 1,277 square feet. Memphis rounds out the top five at 1,257 square feet for $1,500.
Texas touts three cities toward the top of the list with ample apartment square footage for the budget: No. 6 Lubbock, 1,220 square feet; No. 9 El Paso, 1,147 square feet; and No. 11 Corpus Christi, 1,124 square feet.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, big cities on the East and West coasts are providing the least amount of space for the budget. Manhattan tops the list with 228 square feet at the $1,500 price point, followed by neighboring Brooklyn at 300 square feet.
In addition, 32 of the 50 markets with the least amount of space are in California. Toward the bottom of the list are San Francisco coming in with 334 square feet for the budget and Irvine with 436 square feet. Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Diego offer renters about 440 square feet for $1,500, the equivalent of a small studio.
When it comes to smaller-sized cities, the South again provides renters with the biggest bang for their buck. Renters in Columbus, Georgia, can get 1,432 square feet of apartment space for $1,500. McAllen, Texas, is close behind at 1,423 square feet, which is enough space for a four-bedroom apartment.
In fact, the Lone Star State ranks high for small cities, with four locales in the top 20. In addition to McAllen, apartments in Amarillo, Brownsville, and Pasadena provide rents with over 1,100 square feet for the budget.
As with large cities, $1,500 gets the least amount of space in California’s small cities, led by Sunnyvale at 406 square feet. Pasadena and Glendale aren’t too far behind with 427 and 444 square feet, respectively, for the budget.
