While the internet is full of blogs and videos of how to live in a tiny space, it’s not easy. And since the pandemic, many people are looking for a little more room. But how much room can you get on a renter’s budget?
Renters made up about 36% of the nation’s 122.8 million households in 2019, the last year for which the Census Bureau has data, according to Pew Research.
The demographics of renters are not the same as owners. Young people, racial and ethnic minorities, and those with lower incomes are more likely to rent, according to Pew. More than a third of renters are under age 35.
Rent makes up a big chunk of many tenants’ expenses. Of the nearly 44.1 million renter households in 2019, more than 45% were paying 30% or more of their gross household income on rent, Pew Research says. (More than 30% is considered burdensome.)
For a tenant making the 2019 median renter household income of $42,500, shelling out $1,500 a month in rent totals $18,000 a year, or more than 42.3% of their income. After taxes and rent, there’s not much left over—maybe $1,300-$1,400 a month. Rents have gone up about 15% since 2001, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, while renter income has increased only 3.4%.
So, in which cities can you get the most space for your rental dollars?
To find out how much apartment you get for $1,500 around the U.S., RentCafe, a national apartment search site, analyzed apartment rent prices and apartment sizes in the 100 largest U.S. cities. The space was calculated using price-per-square-foot derived from the average rents and average size of apartments by city, in multifamily properties of 50 or more units, using Yardi Matrix data.
Their analysis found that in Manhattan, $1,500 nets you 262 square feet—that's a little bigger than the average dorm room or one-car garage. A hotel room is around 325 square feet. That 262 square feet is about 16 x 16.5.
Here are 10 cities where that $1,500 gets you less than 500 square feet, 10 cities where you can get 500-1,000 sq. ft., and finally 13 U.S. cities where you can rent more than 1,000 sq. ft. for $1,500 a month.
Manhattan, N.Y.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 262 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $4,269
- Average apartment size: 745 sq. ft.
Boston
- Apartment space for $1,500: 340 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $3,589
- Average apartment size: 813 sq. ft.
San Francisco
- Apartment space for $1,500: 345 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $3,242
- Average apartment size: 746 sq. ft.
Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 357 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $3,061
- Average apartment size: 728 sq. ft.
Oakland, Calif.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 404 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $2,904
- Average apartment size: 783 sq. ft.
Jersey City, N.J.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 410 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $3,036
- Average apartment size: 829 sq. ft.
Los Angeles
- Apartment space for $1,500: 454 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $2,613
- Average apartment size: 791 sq. ft.
San Jose, Calif.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 483 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $2,748
- Average apartment size: 885 sq. ft.
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Seattle
- Apartment space for $1,500: 475 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $2,181
- Average apartment size: 691 sq. ft.
San Diego
- Apartment space for $1,500: 493 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $2,662
- Average apartment size: 875 sq. ft.
Cities Where You Can Get 500 Square Feet or More for $1,500
Washington, D.C.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 500 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $2,234
- Average apartment size: 745 sq. ft.
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Chicago
- Apartment space for $1,500: 540 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $2,080
- Average apartment size: 749 sq. ft.
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Miami
- Apartment space for $1,500: 647 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $2,056
- Average apartment size: 887 sq. ft.
Philadelphia
- Apartment space for $1,500: 679 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,760
- Average apartment size: 797 sq. ft.
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Denver
- Apartment space for $1,500: 681 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,860
- Average apartment size: 845 sq. ft.
Portland, Ore.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 684 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,661
- Average apartment size: 757 sq. ft.
Minneapolis
- Apartment space for $1,500: 724 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,627
- Average apartment size: 785 sq. ft.
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Austin, Texas
- Apartment space for $1,500: 753 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,722
- Average apartment size: 864 sq. ft.
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Phoenix, Ariz.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 804 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,494
- Average apartment size: 801 sq. ft.
Anchorage, Alaska
- Apartment space for $1,500: 886 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,189
- Average apartment size: 702 sq. ft.
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Tucson, Ariz.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 993 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,146
- Average apartment size: 759 sq. ft.
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Cities Where You'll Get More Than 1,000 Sq. Ft. for $1,500
Albuquerque
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,060 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,146
- Average apartment size: 810 sq. ft.
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Norfolk, Va.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,066 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,236
- Average apartment size: 878 sq. ft.
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New Orleans
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,091 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,228
- Average apartment size: 893 sq. ft.
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Cincinnati
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,150 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,135
- Average apartment size: 870 sq. ft.
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Kansas City, Mo.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,172 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,134
- Average apartment size: 886 sq. ft.
St. Louis
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,187 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,068
- Average apartment size: 845 sq. ft.
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Columbus, Ohio
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,230 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,073
- Average apartment size: 880 sq. ft.
Lexington, Ky.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,257 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,055
- Average apartment size: 884 sq. ft.
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Louisville, Ky.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,285 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $1,090
- Average apartment size: 934 sq. ft.
Memphis, Tenn.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,375 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $992
- Average apartment size: 909 sq. ft.
Oklahoma City
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,431 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $891
- Average apartment size: 850 sq. ft.
Wichita, Kan.
- Apartment space for $1,500: 1,597 sq. ft.
- Average apartment rent: $746
- Average apartment size: 794 sq. ft.
At 1,597 square feet, Wichita gets you the most apartment for your money, of all 100 cities. See how much space you can get in all of the cities at RentCafe.
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