Which cities have most affordable rent in US? See where Atlanta ranks

Rent prices across the country have soared over the past decade, but wages have grown incrementally over the same period of time, leaving a major gap between earnings and cost.

Prices have increased as much as 50% over the past ten years, meaning renters are paying more without increasing their income, adding to the affordability crisis in the United States.

Now, a new WalletHub report has analyzed which of 182 cities have the most affordable rent in the U.S.

"In the most affordable cities for renters, the median cost of rent is as low as 15% of the median income, compared to nearly 34% in the most expensive cities," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the April 15 report. "This gives people in the least expensive cities a clear financial advantage; the money they save on rent could go toward their emergency fund or savings for future home ownership."

Here's what the report found.

America's most affordable cities for rent

The most affordable cities to rent in the United States range from 15 to 17% of a renters total monthly income. They are also largely smaller cities and far from the coast.

It all comes down to the rent-to-income ratio, analysts said. This doesn't mean these cities have the lowest rent by dollar value, but rather renters spend the lowest percentage of their monthly income on rent in these cities.

Here are the top 10 most affordable:

1. Bismarck, North Dakota
2. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
3. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
4. Charleston, West Virginia
5. Fargo, North Dakota
6. Cheyenne, Wyoming
7. Juneau, Alaska
8. Casper, Wyoming
9. Anchorage, Alaska
10. Overland Park, Arkansas

America's least affordable cities for rent

On the other side of the financial spectrum, here are the cities with the least affordable rent, meaning renters spend the highest percentage of their monthly income on rent.

1. Birmingham, Alabama
2. Pembroke Pines, Florida
3. Orlando, Florida
4. Glendale, California
5. Bridgeport, Connecticut
6. Jackson, Mississippi
7. New Haven, Connecticut
8. Newark, New Jersey
9. Detroit, Michigan
10. Miami, Florida

Where does Atlanta rank?

Atlanta, Georgia was ranked number 103 for affordable cities. On average, renters pay 23.97% of their income each month on rent in the city.

The average rent price in Atlanta is $2,000 per month, according to Zillow Rentals, with more than 3,000 units available in the city. That price is down from the second half of 2025, but still higher than the beginning of 2025, year over year.

Irene Wright covers affordability as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].