City Rent Comparisons: Side-by-Side Affordability Data
Compare rent, income, and affordability between any two cities using U.S. Census Bureau and HUD data. See how rent burden, not just raw price, shapes where your paycheck actually goes further.
Featured Comparisons
Popular matchups based on combined metro population.
New York, NY
vs
Los Angeles, CA
New York rent
$1,714
Los Angeles rent
$1,791
Rent gap
$77
Burden gap
3.6 pts
New York, NY
vs
Chicago, IL
New York rent
$1,714
Chicago rent
$1,314
Rent gap
$400
Burden gap
2.0 pts
Los Angeles, CA
vs
San Diego, CA
Los Angeles rent
$1,791
San Diego rent
$2,080
Rent gap
$289
Burden gap
2.6 pts
Chicago, IL
vs
Houston, TX
Chicago rent
$1,314
Houston rent
$1,235
Rent gap
$79
Burden gap
2.0 pts
Houston, TX
vs
Dallas, TX
Houston rent
$1,235
Dallas rent
$1,305
Rent gap
$70
Burden gap
1.4 pts
Minneapolis, MN
vs
Chicago, IL
Minneapolis rent
$1,267
Chicago rent
$1,314
Rent gap
$47
Burden gap
0.6 pts
Biggest Affordability Gaps
Matchups with the largest difference in rent burden: the share of income typical renters spend on housing.
Hartford, CT renters spend 35.7% of income on rent, vs 28.5% in Providence, RI , a 7.2 point affordability gap.
San Jose, CA renters spend 30.0% of income on rent, vs 24.1% in San Francisco, CA , a 5.9 point affordability gap.
Miami, FL renters spend 36.5% of income on rent, vs 31.7% in Tampa, FL , a 4.8 point affordability gap.
Detroit, MI renters spend 34.5% of income on rent, vs 30.7% in Cleveland, OH , a 3.8 point affordability gap.
All Comparisons
Sort by rent gap or search for a specific matchup.
Showing 42 of 42 comparisons.
How We Compare Cities
Raw rent alone is misleading. A $2,000 apartment in a city with $80,000 median income is more affordable than a $1,200 apartment where the median income is $35,000. That's why our comparisons lead with rent burden, the share of median household income that goes toward median gross rent.
Rent and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, which smooth out short-term volatility and cover every city in the country. For apartment-size benchmarks, we use HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), the same figures HUD uses to administer housing assistance programs.
Every comparison page shows both cities side by side with the same methodology, so differences reflect real economics, not inconsistent data sources.
Data Sources
Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index.
Data vintage: HUD FMR FY 2025, Census ACS 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates, BLS CPI updated monthly. Government data may lag 1–2 years behind current market conditions.
Comparisons are informational only and do not constitute financial, legal, or housing advice. Government datasets lag current market conditions by one to two years and may not reflect recent shifts in rent or income. Always verify costs with current listings before making relocation decisions.