Some cities are more affordable than others for single renters, and single women spend more income on rent than single men in many major cities across the country, according to a study by RentHop.
RentHop’s Singles Index calculates the percentage of income a single renter has to spend each month to rent a studio home in the largest cities in the United States using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The study found that the most affordable city for single renters in 2023 was Wichita, Kansas. With a median nonfamily income of $38,412, renters here spent an average of 17.65% of their annual income on rent, which averaged only $565 per month for a studio.
The other most affordable cities for singles were:
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: 20.43% of annual income on $929/month studio rent
- Colorado Springs, Colorado: 20.53% of annual income on $910/month studio rent
- Seattle, Washington: 20.90% of annual income on $1,450/month studio rent
- Columbus, Ohio: 20.92% of annual income on $850/month studio rent
The least affordable city for single renters was New York, New York. The median nonfamily income in New York City was $55,810, and the median studio rent there rose about 9% in the past year. For a studio home, the median monthly rent was $3,308.
The other least affordable cities for singles were:
- Miami, Florida: 48.81% of annual income on $1,986/month studio rent
- Detroit, Michigan: 42.20% of annual income on $895/month studio rent
- Boston, Massachusetts: 37.47% of annual income on $2,350/month studio rent
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 36.94% of annual income on $1,265/month studio rent
Notably, the study found that single women spent 124% more of their income on rent than single men in major cities across the country. The top five cities with the worst housing burden gap for single female renters and their female vs. male burden ratios were:
- El Paso, Texas: 1.90x
- Miami, Florida: 1.72x
- Bakersfield, California: 1.54x
- San Jose, California: 1.53x
- Atlanta, Georgia: 1.43x
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