The US cities where most people rent
See more of our coverage in your search results.
About 35% of American households rent their home. In Union City, New Jersey, 80.9% do, the highest share of any US city with at least 50,000 residents. Eight of the twelve most renter-heavy cities in the country are in New Jersey.
| City | Renter households | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Union City, NJ | 80.9% | 66,463 |
| New Brunswick, NJ | 78.6% | 56,345 |
| West New York, NJ | 77.0% | 52,004 |
| Passaic, NJ | 76.2% | 70,002 |
| Huntington Park, CA | 75.8% | 53,108 |
| Newark, NJ | 75.6% | 310,178 |
| Elizabeth, NJ | 74.4% | 137,302 |
| Hartford, CT | 74.3% | 121,127 |
| Paterson, NJ | 73.1% | 158,735 |
| Hawthorne, CA | 72.8% | 85,191 |
| Santa Monica, CA | 72.1% | 91,169 |
| Jersey City, NJ | 72.1% | 294,078 |
Northern New Jersey
Union City, West New York, and Jersey City sit on the Hudson County waterfront across from Manhattan and are among the densest cities in the country, built almost entirely of apartment buildings and multi-family rowhouses. Union City is among the densest incorporated cities in the United States and has almost no single-family housing. Newark, Elizabeth, Passaic, and Paterson are older industrial cities with housing stock that was built as rentals a century ago and stayed that way. New Brunswick is home to Rutgers University.
The three California cities split into two types. Huntington Park and Hawthorne are working-class cities in Los Angeles County with large immigrant populations and dense apartment stock. Santa Monica is affluent, with a median home value well above $1 million, and its 72.1% renter share comes from the cost of buying rather than the cost of living.
Large cities
| City | Renter households | Population |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 67.2% | 8,483,844 |
| Boston, MA | 64.3% | 666,442 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 64.0% | 3,857,263 |
| San Francisco, CA | 61.8% | 830,235 |
| Washington, DC | 58.5% | 681,294 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 58.2% | 566,973 |
| Houston, TX | 57.9% | 2,328,253 |
| Dallas, TX | 57.6% | 1,307,930 |
Among cities over 500,000, New York leads at 67.2%, meaning roughly 2.2 million of its 3.3 million households rent. Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco follow. Houston and Dallas are the two Sun Belt cities above 57%, and both have renter majorities despite far lower home prices than the coastal cities, a product of rapid population growth outpacing single-family construction inside city limits.
Every city over 500,000 in the country has a renter share above the national 35%. The suburbs and small towns that surround them pull the national average down. The long-run decline in homeownership across cities is covered in our study on the cities where homeownership fell most since 2000, and the national quarterly figures in homeownership and vacancy for the second quarter. The full ranking is on the highest renter share page.
Sources
Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25003 (tenure). The renter share is renter-occupied housing units as a share of all occupied units. Cities shown have at least 50,000 residents. The national figure is a population-weighted sum across states.
Add CensusEasy as a preferred source on Google to see our stories first.
GENERALWhere do the most Peruvian Americans live?
About 781,000 Americans are of Peruvian origin. Florida has the most, but the highest concentrations are in northern New Jersey, led by Kearny at 10.3 percent.
GENERALLiam was the most popular boy name of the past 10 years
From 2016 through 2025, 202,601 baby boys were named Liam, more than any other name. Noah and Oliver round out the top three, while Henry climbed from 22nd to fifth.
GENERALHow big is every state capital?
Phoenix is the largest state capital, at about 1.67 million people, and Montpelier, Vermont, the smallest, at about 7,800. Just 17 capitals are the biggest city in their state.
Which US city has the most renters?
Union City, New Jersey, where 80.9% of households rent, according to American Community Survey data for cities with at least 50,000 residents. It is the densest incorporated city in the country and has almost no single-family housing. New Brunswick, New Jersey is second at 78.6% and West New York, New Jersey third at 77.0%.
What percentage of Americans rent?
About 35% of occupied housing units are rented in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. The share is much higher inside large cities, where every city over 500,000 residents has a renter majority, and lower in suburbs and small towns, which pull the national average down.
Which big US cities have the most renters?
Among cities over 500,000, New York leads at 67.2%, followed by Boston at 64.3%, Los Angeles at 64.0%, San Francisco at 61.8%, and Washington, DC at 58.5%. Houston and Dallas, at 57.9% and 57.6%, have renter majorities despite far lower home prices, because population growth has outpaced single-family construction inside their city limits.
