200 Cities, $1,500 Rent: How Much Space Can You Get?

Midwestern and Sunbelt cities offer the most apartment space for a monthly rent of $1,500. To help renters make the best decisions in the moving season, we continue our annual tradition of highlighting the U.S. cities where they can get the most apartment space for a monthly rent of $1,500. In total, we ranked the nation’s 200 largest cities using apartment data from Yardi Matrix as of March 2025.

The South claims 12 of the top 20 large cities offering the most square footage for a monthly budget of $1,500. The rest are in the Midwest. However, in nearly all 20 of them, renters can enjoy more than 1,000 square feet for $1,500, which is less than the national average rent.

While the sunnier Southern cities offer the most generous deals, what about the major coastal cities? In New York City’s busiest boroughs, as well as in Boston, San Francisco, and the increasingly popular Jersey City, NJ, renters face a trade-off — unique experiences and countless opportunities in exchange for more compact living spaces.

Overall, across the nation, renters can get 715 square feet of apartment space for a monthly rent of $1,500. Still, in 63% of the 200 largest U.S. cities, apartment seekers can get more than the national norm.

Wichita is top large city where $1,500 goes furthest for apartment space

If you’re a renter looking for spacious apartments on a budget, you have the best shot of finding them in the Midwest. In line with last year’s ranking, Wichita, KS, and Toledo, OH, are the cities where renters can get the most square feet for a monthly rent of $1,500. For example, in Kansas’ largest city, $1,500 will rent 1,329 square feet, which is usually the equivalent of a three- or four-bedroom apartment in Wichita. Similarly, in Toledo, apartment hunters can get 1,268 square feet for the same amount.

Next are two Oklahoma destinations — Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Here, $1,500 per month rents 1,247 and 1,231 square feet, respectively. Locally, this typically means a roomy three-bedroom apartment, our analysis shows. For renters considering a move to Texas, Lubbock is worth considering. Ranking fifth on our list, this Southern High Plains city offers 1,230 square feet of rental space for a monthly budget of $1,500. That’s equivalent to a three- or four-bedroom rental here as well.

Not far is Memphis, TN, where there’s more than legendary music to enjoy. For instance, renters get 1,229 square feet of apartment space for $1,500 per month. This is typically the equivalent of a two- to three-bedroom unit. Other Southern cities that offer more than 1,100 square feet for a $1,500 budget are Baton Rouge, LA; El Paso, TX; and Corpus Christi, TX. Greensboro, NC, is also close with 1,086 square feet for $1,500. This Piedmont Triad city has climbed five spots in our ranking since last year as it’s seeing more spacious apartments opening amid increased construction activity.

Major coastal cities offer least space for monthly budget of $1,500

From Los Angeles and San Francisco to New York City, the country’s iconic big cities are known for their unique lifestyles, scenic views and endless opportunities for work and personal growth. Of course, all of these come with a price and… cozy apartment living. For example, Manhattan, NY, leads the nation’s large cities where a monthly rent of $1,500 gets you the least rental space — a mere 216 square feet. In other words, renters with a fixed budget of $1,500 can’t get a studio apartment in New York City’s busiest borough.

Second on the list is another NYC borough, Brooklyn. Here, a monthly rent of $1,500 would pay for just under 300 square feet, but that’s still not enough for a compact studio. However, renters with a fixed budget looking to make Queens, NY, their home have a chance of finding a studio or even a cozy one-bedroom apartment for $1,500 per month. For this amount, the borough offers 354 square feet, which positions it sixth on our list.

Also on the East Coast, Boston is third in our ranking. Renters in this world-renowned educational hub can get 311 square feet for $1,500, which, again, is typically insufficient for a studio in this city boasting a unique character and charm. Nearby, in Jersey City, this budget stretches to include a few extra square feet — 331, to be exact, which is usually the equivalent of a studio or a smaller one-bedroom apartment here.

Wondering about the tempting California lifestyle as a renter with a fixed budget? Well, in places like San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Irvine, and San Diego, renters are offered studios or one-bedrooms for the price of $1,500 per month. As such, all of these locations are among the top 10 cities offering the least apartment space for this budget — ranging from 325 square feet in San Francisco to a slightly more generous 439 in San Diego.

South leads for affordable square footage in small cities; Texas & Georgia spots rank highest

Meanwhile, renters looking for some Southern comfort without breaking the bank have numerous options to choose from. For instance, McAllen, TX, offers nearly 1,400 square feet for a monthly rent of $1,500. This is typically the equivalent of a spacious four-bedroom rental. Another example is Columbus, GA, where apartment seekers can get 1,332 square feet for the same amount. Usually, this covers a roomy three- or four-bedroom unit.

Next is another Georgia gem: In Macon, renters with a fixed budget of $1,500 can enjoy 1,330 square feet, which equates to a spacious four-bedroom rental. And, it seems there are more than a few options to choose from as the city has been riding a wave of new apartment construction with recent projects transforming parking lots into major mixed-use developments. Not to be outdone, Jackson, MS, and Brownsville, TX, are two other attractive cities for apartment hunters looking for more living space within a $1,500 budget. In both cases, renters can get close to 1,300 square feet, which is typically the equivalent of a three- or four-bedroom apartment.

While the list of the top 20 small cities offering the most square feet for a $1,500 rent budget is dominated by Southern locations, some Midwestern locations are also peppered throughout. One of them is Akron, OH, the region’s highest-ranking spot thanks to a generous 1,252 square feet that renters could get for $1,500. Additionally, Sioux Falls, SD; Warren, MI; Dayton, OH; and Kansas City, KS; are other Midwestern cities providing more than 1,100 square feet within the same amount.

California’s small cities offer least square footage for $1,500 rent

In line with last year’s ranking, California dominates the list with 16 of the top 20 small cities where renters get limited space for $1,500 per month. In fact, in three cities on the list, this budget is not even enough for a studio, which is a change compared to last year’s list, when there were no such situations.

One of the three is Silicon Valley’s Sunnyvale, CA. Among all of the 100 smaller cities we analyzed, the city offers the least space for $1,500 — just 385 square feet. Next are Pasadena and Glendale, both in the Los Angeles metro area. Here, this limited budget stretches to 423 and 429 square feet, respectively. Typically, this square footage is the equivalent of a studio. Speaking of the L.A. metro area, surf city Huntington Beach ranks fifth on our list with 471 square feet, which, by local standards, is not enough for a studio rental.

Squeezed in between these California enclaves is Bellevue, WA. In this dynamic tech hub that neighbors Seattle, renters get 461 square feet for $1,500 per month, which is usually the square footage of a studio or compact one-bedroom unit.

Notably, Providence, RI, and Yonkers, NY, are the only East Coast cities in the top 20. In Yonkers, renters get 471 square feet for $1,500, which is usually the size of a studio or cozy one-bedroom apartment. For comparison, in Providence, a renter hub with skyrocketing popularity (it ranks as the fourth hottest small market in the nation in terms of rental competitiveness), apartment seekers are offered 501 square feet for $1,500. By local standards, this is not enough for a studio apartment.

Check out the top 10 cities that offer the most space for $1,500, broken down by state:

Methodology

RentCafe.com is a nationwide apartment search website that enables renters to easily find apartments and houses for rent throughout the United States.

The apartment space you can rent for a monthly budget of $1,500 was calculated using price per square foot derived from the average rents and average size of apartments by city in multifamily properties of 50 or more units using Yardi Matrix data as of March 2025. All data is accurate as of the date of publication. To calculate the national values, we included all of the markets covered by Yardi Matrix.

Apartment data for New York City was available for three boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

The analysis includes the 200 largest cities in the contiguous U.S. by population, based on the U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

We defined large cities as those cities that have a population of more than 225,000, while small cities are those with fewer than 225,000 inhabitants.

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