Throughout the country, about 43 million households are home to renters, rather than homeowners. And while renting can come with perks like flexibility, it also has its fair share of drawbacks.
And where you rent makes a big difference. While some cities are more friendly to renters than others, one of the country’s worst places to rent is right here in Georgia, a new report found.
The report, from personal finance website WalletHub, ranked the best and worst places in the country to rent. The report was based on factors like rental attractiveness and quality of life.
“But renting isn’t always a cheaper or better alternative to owning a property. The right road to take depends on a variety of factors, including an individual’s or family’s financial means and how well the local real-estate market is doing,” the WalletHub report reads.
The comparison was based on 24 key metrics in 180 rental markets. The metrics include things like share of renters, rental vacancy rate, sublet law friendliness, cost of living, job market, city satisfaction rating and safety.
After crunching the numbers, Atlanta was near the back of the pack at No. 143. But it was another Georgia city that brought up the rear.
According to the WalletHub analysis, Augusta is among the worst cities for renters in the country. It joins other cities like Hialeah, Florida; Huntington, West Virginia; Memphis, Tennessee; Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit; Miami; Jackson, Mississippi and Gulfport, Mississippi.
On the other hand, the report found these are the best places to rent in the country:
1. Bismarck, North Dakota
2. Lewiston, Maine
3. Lincoln, Nebraska
4. Rapid City, South Dakota
5. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
6. Portland, Maine
7. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
8. Fargo, North Dakota
9. Fremont, California
10. Scottsdale, Arizona
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