Where Renter Engagement Is Booming Across the U.S. 

The busiest moving season, when renters are actively looking for apartments, is almost here! With spring blossoming and summer approaching quickly, RentCafe used data available for the entire Q1 of 2025 to find out which cities receive the highest levels of online activity on RentCafe.com.

In Q1 of 2025, tenants were most interested in Washington, D.C., which displayed robust online activity by all measures. Cincinnati, which has risen nine ranks since a year ago, is next in second place, and Kansas City, MO, is third after rising a whopping 12 spots. After that, the “Windy City” of Chicago moved up one rank to #5, and the popular Atlanta metro slipped one slot to #4. Renters from Philadelphia, New York City, and Baltimore accounted for the majority of internet activity in Q1 of this year.

According to regional rankings, the South is in the lead, with half of the cities placing in the top 30 for tenants’ online participation. With 10 cities, the Midwest does well as well, while the West comes in last with four. Only one city in the Northeast made the top 30, making it the region with the fewest entries.

Top 10 U.S. Cities for Renter Engagement in Q1 2025

Renter Engagement Booms in the Nation’s Capital, South & Midwest

1. Washington, D.C.

Home to many sports teams such as the Washington Wizards (NBA), the Washington Nationals (MLB), and the Washington Capitals (NHL), D.C. has much to offer tourists. As the capital of the U.S., a center of political action, and a city steeped in culture and history, the popular metro is well known around the world. In addition to its numerous museums, monuments, and memorials, it is renowned for its famous landmarks, including the Capitol Building, the White House, and the Lincoln Memorial. But how do renters fare in such a booming and bustling city?

Pretty well, actually. Washington continues to dominate the ranking in the first half of the year after taking the top spot this past fall. Its popularity is driven by an 18% increase in favorited items and a 13% decrease in saved searches, despite a 7% decline in page views. This indicates that the nation’s capital is a popular destination for apartment seekers, who seem to be acting swiftly to find leases.

2. Cincinnati:

After moving up nine spots since this time last year, Cincinnati is currently in second place on the list of online renter engagement. Renter interest in the city is still high, as evidenced by the significant 37% increase in listings added to favorites, even though saved searches have decreased by 29% year-over-year. This pattern implies that, as a result of the 36% increase in available listings, apartment hunters may be approaching their search with less urgency.

“The Queen City” of Cincinnati is a desirable location for renters and is well-known for its distinctive culinary culture—especially its chili—as well as its vibrant arts and cultural scene and Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. The city has a rich history as well, having had a significant influence on American industry, including the first large industrial company to be owned and run by women. Additionally, the majority of Cincinnati’s renters were from Atlanta, New York City, and the nearby city of Columbus, Ohio.

3. Kansas City, MO

The third city on the list might catch the eye of jazz lovers nationwide. In addition to its world-class barbecue and thriving jazz scene, Kansas City, MO, is known as the “City of Fountains” because of its many exquisite fountains. It’s also a gathering place for sports fans, especially because of its fervent devotion to the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals. With landmarks like the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the American Jazz Museum, the city also has a strong cultural legacy. These attractions are attracting more than just tourists, but many interested renters as well.

In the past year, Kansas City has moved up 12 points to take third place in our rating. Its increase was mostly caused by a 5% increase in web traffic, a 4% decrease in availability, and a 9% decrease in stored searches, indicating that tenants might be selecting flats they prefer more quickly. The majority of activity in this city came from people looking for apartments in Dallas, Kansas City, KS—which is nearby—and Chicago.

4. Atlanta, Georgia

This quarter, “Hotlanta,” the great city of Atlanta, dropped one spot to fourth place in the standings over the previous year. Renters appear to be taking more time to consider their alternatives before signing a lease, even if apartment listings here continue to receive a lot of internet traffic. Its decline in favorited listings and bookmarked searches year over year is probably a result of this more methodical approach.

The “ATL” is renowned for its Southern hospitality, its varied food scene, its vibrant music and art culture, especially in the hip-hop and trap genres, and its role in the Civil Rights Movement. With Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the busiest in the world, it’s also a significant transit hub. Atlanta is also the location of well-known landmarks like the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, the Fox Theatre, and the Georgia Aquarium. Nevertheless, New York, Miami, and Chicago accounted for the majority of renter engagement for Atlanta apartments, aside from locals.

5. Chicago, Illinois

So, which city clocked in at #5? None other than one of the most popular tourist cities in America: “Chi-Town.” Did you know Chicago can reach temperatures colder than some parts of Alaska?

Chicago’s famous skyscrapers, such as the Willis Tower and the Art Deco Chicago Tribune Tower, are among its most recognizable architectural features. Along with its lively music scene and plenty of cultural attractions, the city is renowned for its distinctive culinary culture, which includes deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs.

Despite an 11% decline in page views year-over-year, Chicago, a fiercely competitive market in early 2025, came in sixth for renter activity this quarter. An estimated 23% drop in saved searches and a 3% drop in available listings, which further reduces the number of rental units available, are what make it so appealing. All of this indicates that tenants are acting fast to find a space that meets their requirements.

Chicago continues to draw apartment seekers from bigger cities like Phoenix, New York City, and Dallas, as well as renters from the nearby town of Wheaton, IL.

Measuring the Most “In-Demand” Regions Renters Are Looking At

With some 15 entries in the prestigious top 30 most sought-after cities, the South is leading the rankings this quarter. With 10 submissions, the Midwest comes second, while the West has four. With just one city included in the rankings, the Northeast falls well behind. However, the picture changes inside the top 10, with the Midwest leading with seven cities and the South with three.

Key Trends & Findings:

• Washington, D.C., is the nation’s top city and the leader in the South.
• Atlanta (#2 regionally and #4 nationally) and Chesapeake, VA (#3 regionally and #13 nationally), are next.
• Next is Amarillo, Texas, which is ranked #4 in the South and fifteenth nationally.
• St. Petersburg, FL, is next, which is ranked #5 in the area and sixteenth in the U.S.
• Louisville, KY, followed, which is ranked #6 in the South and nineteenth in the nation.
• Tampa, FL, is ranked #7 regionally and twenty-one in the U.S.
• Richmond, VA (ranked #9 in the area and #23 nationally)
• Augusta, GA (ranked #8 in the South and #22 in the U.S.)
• Baltimore (ranked #10 in the South and #25 in the U.S.) rounds out the list.
• Fayetteville, NC, followed (#12 in the South and #27 in the U.S.), and Fort Lauderdale, FL (#13 in the region and #28 in the country).
• Montgomery, AL (#11 regionally and #26 nationally), is all close behind them.
• The Southern entries in the top 30 are completed by Knoxville, TN (15th regionally and 30th in the U.S.), and Columbus, GA (14th regionally and 29th nationally).

Top 10 Cities for Renter Engagement in Q1 2025 by Region

This quarter’s ranking of the top 30 cities for renter participation includes nine new cities compared to the previous quarter: two from the Midwest, one from the West, and six from the South. Columbus, Ohio, is at the top of the newcomers, having surged 34 spots to into the top 10 this quarter. Then, despite a 7% decline in page views, Las Vegas comes in at number 88, driven by a 19% drop in saved searches.

Grand Rapids, MI, rose 17 spots despite a decline in internet traffic. Strong declines in both saved searches and favorited listings contributed to its rise, indicating that renters in this area omit crucial stages from their digital search in their haste to find a lease. Augusta, GA, and Tampa, FL, which has also risen in the rankings after a 13-position jump, are not far behind.

Next up is Sacramento, CA, a Western newcomer that rose 14 spots despite a decline in page views from the previous year. The 41% decline in saved searches suggests that apartment-hunters in California’s capital are acting quickly to find a place they like despite the limited number of available flats.

Lastly, three up-and-coming Southerners round out the top 30: First, Fort Lauderdale, FL, increased 71 spots due to a significant decrease in saved searches, indicating that renters in this area are quite specific about what they look for. Columbus, GA, also moved up 17 spots because there were 65% less saved searches there than the previous year. Additionally, Knoxville, TN, moved up 22 ranks after seeing a 40% rise in listings added to favorites over the previous year.

No matter where renters look, there are many options across the country. While relocation can pose its challenges, experts suggest doing thorough research before taking the plunge.

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