Looking to stretch your dollar a little further this year? If you live in a city where you paid less rent than the average American and get to keep more of your paycheck — you’re essentially earning more than you would in a city where rent was steeper. The good news is you already do! Tucson tops the list of 10 cities where you’ll get the most bang for your rental buck, according to a report released by Apartment Guide last month.
To determine where dollars will go the farthest, Apartmentguide.com did some serious number crunching. First, they looked at Apartment Guide rental prices and measured them against the national average — $1,142 for a one-bedroom as of January 2019.
Next, they considered the salary stats from The Creative Group’s 2019 Salary Guide. The cities that made the list have the best salary average when compared to the average cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment. In other words, the greatest gap in what renters make compared to how much they have to pay for rent.
There’s a lot of diversity on the list, but Tucson ranked tops, with a salary vs. rent gap of 48 percentage points, beating out the capital city of Phoenix, which holds the 12th spot.
With 350 days of sunshine a year, Tucson is surrounded by five mountain ranges and all the outdoor adventure that comes with them. The massive University of Arizona is one of the city’s top employers, along with Raytheon Missile Systems and the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
So, what makes Tucson the best city to get the most bang for your rental buck? Locals earn 7 percent more than the average American and pay 41 percent less on rent — an average of $676 each month for a one-bedroom apartment.
The top 10
1. Tucson, Arizona
2. Fayetteville, Arkansas
3. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
4. Greenville, South Carolina
5. Tulsa, Oklahoma
6. Greensboro, North Carolina
7. Huntsville, Alabama
8. Toledo, Ohio
9. Davenport, Iowa
10. Pueblo, Colorado
For the full report, click here.
