Renters looking for a spacious, affordable apartment should head to the South and Midwest, according to a new study.
More than half of the 20 largest cities offering the most square footage for a monthly rent of $1,500 are in the Southeast and Southwest, according to a new report from RentCafé reveals.
Wichita, Kansas, offers up to 1,359 square feet for that budget (the most square footage of any major U.S. city), which is equivalent to an entire home.
That’s nearly six times more space than a renter would get in Manhattan, New York, where $1,500 gets you a paltry 228 square feet.
Nationwide, $1,500 equates to 729 square feet of space in an apartment, according to RentCafe. But in certain areas, renters on a budget can afford larger apartments.
Toledo, Ohio, ranked second on the list of large cities with the most apartment spaces available for $1,500, with an average of 1,345 square feet.
According to RentCafe, this is enough space for three or even four bedrooms.
Below are some locations in the South. In Oklahoma City, renters can get 1,300 square feet for a monthly rental rate of $1,500, which typically means a three-bedroom home.
Similarly, in Tulsa, tenants can typically afford to rent a 1,277-square-foot apartment.
Fifth on the list is Memphis, Tennessee, which offers renters an average of 1,200 square feet for their budget—the equivalent of a three-bedroom apartment.
The study highlights just how large the rent gap is across the United States.
In Manhattan, New York, home to the most expensive rental market in the country, $1,500 only gets residents an average of 228 square feet.
This is the equivalent of a very small studio apartment.
Across the bridge in Brooklyn, the same monthly budget allows you to rent 300 square feet.
The New York borough of Queens is also among the places where a budget of $1,500 will allow tenants to get less than 400 square feet of space – exactly 370 square feet.
Wichita, Kansas, offers up to 1,359 square feet for the budget-conscious—the most of any large city in the U.S.
Toledo, Ohio, ranked second on the list of large cities with the most apartment space available for $1,500, with an average of 1,345 square feet.
In Oklahoma City, renters can get 1,302 square feet for a monthly rental rate of $1,500, which typically means a three-bedroom home.
In Tulsa, renters can typically afford an apartment space of 1,277 square feet.
In Boston, Massachusetts, which ranks third on the list of places with the least amount of space for your budget, renters can afford about 315 square feet, RentCafe found.
Jersey City, New Jersey, which is one of the most competitive rental markets in the Northeast, rounds out the top five cities offering the least square footage for that same budget.
Here, apartment seekers can get 340 square feet for $1,500 a month.
California, known for its high housing costs, also tops the list of cities offering the least amount of space for that amount, accounting for 32 of the top 50.
San Francisco offers just 334 square feet, while Los Angeles, San Jose and San Diego offer around 440 square feet, typically enough for a small studio.
