The US cities with the most affordable rent in 2026

Sat, 04/18/2026 - 10:24

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Aerial View of Bismark, North Dakota during Summer — Bismarck, North Dakota, is the most affordable US city in 2026, per a WalletHub report.
Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

While some markets are seeing cooling prices, rent in some areas continues to rise.
WalletHub ranked 182 cities across the US by how affordable rents are relative to median income.
Bismarck, North Dakota, ranked first, with 15% of the median income going toward rent.

Not every city is built the same, and that's also true of rental markets.

While some cities are seeing cooling rents and more affordable housing efforts, rent prices in others continue to rise.

A recent WalletHub study ranked 182 US cities, including the 150 most populous cities in the country and at least two of the most populous in each state, by how much renters spend on rent, on average.

To calculate the share of income spent on rent, WalletHub used US Census Bureau data on median annual gross rent and median household income for each surveyed city.

"A general rule of thumb is that rent should not exceed 30% of the median income," Maggie Rong Hu, an assistant professor of real estate at Baruch College in New York, said in the study. "This ensures that renters can comfortably afford their housing without sacrificing other essential living expenses."

On average, people living in the 31 cities listed below spend about 18.5% of their income on rent, lower than the 23.46% across all measured cities.

In the most expensive cities in the study, including Miami, Detroit, and Newark, renters can spend up to 33.8% of their income on rent.

See the most affordable cities for renters across the US in 2026.

30. (Tie) Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

Income spent on rent: 20.10%

30. (Tie) South Burlington, Vermont

Income spent on rent: 20.10%

29. Chesapeake, Virginia

Aerial of Norfork Virginia's Chesapeak Bay shoreline, buildings and marinas. — trekandshoot/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.96%

28. Amarillo, Texas

First Baptist Church Downtown Amarillo Texas — Dani California Dreamin/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.88%

27. Des Moines, Iowa

Aerial View of the Skyline of Des Moines, Iowa facing East — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.84%

26. Oklahoma City

Skyline of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.75%

25. Plano, Texas

Aerial View of Downtown, Plano Texas in the DFW Metro — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.68%

24. Seattle

Seattle downtown skyline and Mount Rainier, Washington. — Seattle.
SCStock/Getty Images

Income spent on rent: 19.67%

23. West Valley City, Utah

Skyline of Salt Lake City, UT with Snow capped Wasatch Mountains in background — Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.57%

22. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Aerial Autumn Boulevard and Skyline in Fort Wayne — Nicholas J Klein/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.52%

21. Omaha, Nebraska

Aerial View of Downtown Omaha, Nebraska in Autumn — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.46%

20. Fremont, California

Drone images showcasing residential neighborhoods in Fremont, California, with lush green hills in the background and a mix of townhomes, single-family homes, and commercial buildings. Ideal for theme — NorCalStockMedia/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.39%

19. Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith, Arkansas - November 12th, 2023: Aerial view of Judge Parker's Courthouse and the Fort Smith National Historic Site — Jonathan C Wear/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.35%

18. Laredo, Texas

Aerial View of the Popular Border Crossing of Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 19.34%

17. Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville, Alabama skyline at nighttime. — Huntsville, Alabama, roughly 15 miles northeast of Triana.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 18.81%

16. Rapid City, South Dakota

Aerial View of Rapid City, South Dakota in Summer — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 18.78%

15. Columbia, Maryland

Columbia Town Center - Lake Kittamaqundi — Gyro Captain Drone Photos/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 18.64%

14. Billings, Montana

Aerial of Downtown Billings Montana in the midwestern United States. — trekandshoot/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 18.53%

13. Warwick, Rhode Island

Pawtuxet Cove Marina aerial view in the village in fall between city of Cranston and Warwick, Rhode Island RI, USA. Here is Pawtuxet River mouth to Providence River. — Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 18.44%

12. Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln, Nebraska, USA downtown city skyline at dawn. — Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 18.13%

11. Wichita, Kansas

Aerial View of the Population Center of Wichita, Kansas — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 18.11%

10. Overland Park, Kansas

Aerial View of Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 17.34%

9. Anchorage, Alaska

Snow town Anchorage, Alaska, the United States of America is one of many people's dream to visit due to its scenery, culture, culinary. — TripWalkers/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 17.30%

8. Casper, Wyoming

Aerial View of Downtown Casper, Wyoming at Dusk on Christmas Day — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 17.24%

7. Juneau, Alaska

Aerial view of the downtown Juneau, the state capital of Alaska, USA, along the Gastineau Channel in the Arctic - Harris Harbor towered by Alaskan summits next to Douglas Bridge — Alexandre.ROSA/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 17.04%

6. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Aerial View of Cheyenne, Wyoming at Dusk during Winter — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 17.02%

5. Fargo, North Dakota

Aerial View of Fargo, North Dakota in early Autumn — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 16.94%

4. Charleston, West Virginia

Aerial view of Charleston, West Virginia skyline and South Side Bridge. Charleston is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia and the seat of Kanawha County — Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 16.56%

3. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA cityscape on the Cedar River at dusk. — Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 16.48%

2. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Aerial View of Sioux Falls, South Dakota at Sunset — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 16.35%

1. Bismarck, North Dakota

Aerial View of Bismarck, North Dakota during Summer — Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Income spent on rent: 15.29%

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The US cities with the most affordable rent in 2026