Rental Activity Report: Washington, D.C. Tops List Again as Southern Cities Attract More Interest

The start of the year is prime time for renters seeking great deals on a new place to call home. But, which cities were capturing the attention of eager apartment-hunters in January?

Washington, D.C. holds onto its #1 position in 2025, remaining the most sought-after city for renters in search of apartments on RentCafe.com this month. Atlanta follows in second place, while St. Paul, MN, rises to third after a notable surge in renter engagement.

Coming in fourth is Cincinnati, which experiences a decrease in online activity but still maintains significant interest from renters. Finally, Philadelphia holds steady in fifth place, demonstrating consistent growth in both page views, and renter engagement.

These cities are capturing considerable attention on RentCafe.com as renters continue browsing listings, favoriting properties, and actively searching for apartments.

In January, renter preferences put the South in the lead, by claiming 14 spots in the top 30. The Midwest comes in second with 11 cities, while the West secures four entries — a drop of four since our last report. The Northeast trails behind with just one city making the list.

For a better look at how regional trends have evolved, check out the rankings in the November Rental Activity Report (our last monthly update from 2024) or explore the full picture in our Year-End Rental Activity Report.

Washington, D.C. is the most in-demand city for renters at the start of the year

1. Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. secures the #1 spot once again: The nation’s capital was able to maintain its position since November due to a 7% increase in favorited listings, which demonstrates prospective renters’ continued preference for the district.

Even with a noticeable dip in online engagement, page views down by 6%, and saved searches dropping by 26% compared to last January, the city remains popular for both local renters, as well as those from Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia. This is thanks to the capital’s livability, which offers renters everything from excellent health care to economic opportunities.

2. Atlanta

Atlanta claims second place this month, staying firmly in the top three at the beginning of 2025. Although 2024’s top city to watch experienced a slight decline in online engagement overall — with both page views and favorited properties decreasing — renter interest for apartments in Atlanta remains strong.

Here, local renters, familiar with Atlanta’s rental market continue to make swift decisions when apartment-hunting. Moreover, the city’s thriving job market, as well as its ongoing downtown revitalization efforts, keep it an attractive option for renters seeking an enriching urban environment in 2025.

3. St. Paul, MN

The third-most popular city for renters is St. Paul, MN, which overtakes its other half of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis), as renters’ interest soars. Specifically, listings for apartments in St. Paul saw a 114% jump in favorited properties compared to last January. Additionally, saved searches surged by 103%, highlighting a sharp rise in demand for rental properties.

This growing interest can be attributed to the city’s high quality of life, as well as its resilient job market, making it a great pick for renters from cities like Minneapolis, Chicago and Dallas.

4. Cincinnati

In January, Cincinnati is the fourth-most in-demand city with renters showing increased enthusiasm for available listings, by favoriting 27% more properties than they did at this time last year. This growing interest for apartments in Cincinnati reflects the city’s appeal for renters, driving it up 10 spots since November.

In this case, a mix of lower cost of living (3% below the national average), an expanding job market, and career opportunities makes Cincinnati an attractive choice for renters from various cities, including Columbus, OH; Atlanta; and New York.

5. Philadelphia

Philadelphia is the fifth-most popular city this month, showcasing a 26% surge in page views. In fact, engagement levels soared in the City of Brotherly Love as renters favorited listings 94% more often than last year — a clear indicator of the city’s growing appeal in the rental market.

At the same time, a slight dip of 2% in saved searches indicates that renters are more likely to push forward with their selection in order to lock in place an apartment in Philadelphia.

6. Kansas City, MO

Kansas City, MO, ranks sixth among most popular cities this month, showing modest growth in online engagement. However, renter interest is surging as favored listings jumped a remarkable 64% compared to this time last year, which points to growing demand for apartments in Kansas City.

Plus, with a 5% decrease in apartment availability, renters have fewer options to choose from, thereby underscoring strong demand for rental properties in the city.

7. Minneapolis

Minneapolis — 2025’s top city to watch — ranks seventh in January after seeing a dip in online engagement across the board. Even so, the city remains a solid choice for apartment-hunters, offering renters a wider range of choices when searching for their happy place in the city.

Thanks to its high quality of life and affordable cost of living, Minneapolis continues to attract renters from other cities, such as Chicago; Dallas; and Bloomington, MN, which are seeking a balance of urban amenities and livability.

8. Overland Park, KS

Overland Park, KS, is the eighth-most popular city this month as it continues to draw attention from renters. In particular, page views are up 6% from last year, signaling growing interest in apartments in the city. At the same time, available listings decreased by 7%, indicating that renters are facing more competition as they search for an apartment.

Despite a slight dip in engagement compared to last year, Overland Park remains a solid choice, thanks to its quality of life and strong job market. With a balance of convenience and urban amenities, it’s still one of the most desirable renting spots this month.

9. Los Angeles

Coming in ninth among most in-demand cities is Los Angeles with a moderate 23% increase in favorited listings. Granted, saved searches saw a slight dip, but the city remains a popular choice for renters who want to keep their finger on the pulse.

Addressing the events of January, our thoughts are with the people of Los Angeles who have lost their homes and are navigating this difficult time. As the city recovers from the devastating effects of the wildfires, it is still too early to assess what impact this might have had on online engagement. We will continue to monitor the data closely in order to understand the consequences of this tragic event on the rental market.

10. Columbus, OH

Columbus, OH, jumped an impressive 28 spots this month to land in 10th place, maintaining a steady level of interest with only a slight 5% decrease in page views. Here again, renters in the city showed heightened enthusiasm by favoriting 47% more listings compared to one year ago — a strong indicator of growing interest in apartments in Columbus.

With its affordable cost of living and strong job market, Columbus remains an attractive option for renters seeking urban convenience with a touch of Midwestern charm. Despite saved searches seeing a minor dip, the overall uptick in favorites positions the city as a competitive and appealing market for apartment-hunters.

The South gains more ground as the most in-demand region for renters

In our January rental activity ranking, the South dominated with 14 cities in the top 30, followed by the Midwest with 11 entries. The West claimed four spots, while the Northeast trailed with just one city making the list.

Notably, the South and Midwest were home to the majority of the 10 most in-demand cities for renters. with the South taking four spots and the Midwest securing three, thus reinforcing their growing appeal among renters.

Washington, D.C. takes the crown this month, by ranking #1 both nationally and regionally, followed by Atlanta (#2 nationally and regionally). Augusta, GA, is next, ranking 13th nationally and #3 in the South, along with St. Petersburg, FL (#14 in the U.S. and #4 regionally). Following them are Amarillo, TX — which climbed 17 positions since last January (#16 in the U.S. and #5 in the South); Louisville, KY (#19 in the U.S. and #6 regionally); and Richmond, VA (#20 in the U.S. and #7 in the South).

Other noteworthy locations in the South include Mobile, AL (#23 in the U.S. and #8 regionally); Fayetteville, NC — which jumped 14 positions compared to one year ago (#25 in the U.S. and #9 regionally); Chesapeake, VA (#26 in the U.S. and #10 in the South); Tampa, FL (#27 in the U.S. and #11 in the region); Virginia Beach, VA, which surged 21 spots (#28 nationally and #12 regionally); and Knoxville, TN (#29 in the U.S. and #13 in the South). Birmingham, AL, rounds out the top 30, also ranking 14th in the South.

Further north, St. Paul, MN, leads the Midwest rankings, securing third place nationwide. It is followed by Cincinnati at #4 nationally and #2 regionally, and then Kansas City, MO (#6 in the U.S. and #3 in the Midwest). In the top 10, we also have Minneapolis (#7 in the U.S. and #4 regionally) and Overland Park, KS (#8 in the U.S. and #5 in the Midwest). Columbus, OH, rounds out the top 10, claiming #6 regionally.

Also making strong showings in our top 30 are other Midwestern gems, such as Chicago (#12 in the U.S. and #7 in the Midwest); Cleveland (#17 in the U.S. and #8 in the Midwest); Grand Rapids, MI (#18 in the U.S. and #9 regionally); Omaha, NE (#21 in the U.S. and #10 in the Midwest); and Indianapolis (#22 in the U.S. and #11 regionally).

The West’s highest-ranking city is Los Angeles at #9 followed by Las Vegas after a whopping 69-positions jump (#11 in the U.S.). Two other Western locations that made it into the top 30 are Portland, OR, (#15 in the U.S. and #3 regionally) and Sacramento, CA (#24 in the U.S. and #4 in the West).

Meanwhile, the Northeast only had one entry in January — Philadelphia at #5 — maintaining a presence in the top despite facing stiff competition from other regions.

Meet the newcomers: Renters are longing for sunnier spots this January

This month, seven new cities joined the top 30 most sought-after rental destinations, the majority of which are located in the South. In first place among the newcomers is Las Vegas at #11 in the U.S. after a 69-position jump in the rankings since last January.

Following closely is Augusta, GA, at #13, fueled by an impressive 237% increase in favorited listings, whereas Amarillo, TX, climbed 19 spots to secure 16th place. With a 34% drop in available apartment listings, it’s clear that competition among renters will be tight in this Texas city in the near future.

Another notable newcomer to our ranking, Virginia Beach, VA, (#28) saw a surge in engagement with favorited listings up 55% and saved searches increasing by 22% compared to one year ago.

Finally, and making a comeback this month are Columbus, OH, at #10, followed by Fayetteville, NC, at #25. In the latter, a 7% drop in available listings signals fewer options for renters. Birmingham, AL, also returned to the list, rounding out the top 30.

Methodology

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

To compile this report, the research team analyzed RentCafe.com’s rental listing data across the 150 largest cities by population in the contiguous U.S. with a relevant listing inventory sample. The regions are defined according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The cities were ranked based on a city-level rental activity score. Full points were awarded to the most desirable city for a particular metric, while the zero-point level was set slightly below the worst city’s value. Cities that lacked sufficient information regarding specific metrics were awarded zero points.

Beginning in August 2023, the city that obtained the highest total score was awarded 100 points and all total scores of the following cities were adjusted accordingly.

To calculate each city’s score, we ranked them according to four metrics and their averages as of the most current month in 2025 versus the same month in 2024.

1. Availability Rate (Maximum score: 40 points)

The availability rate score was calculated by dividing the total vacant units at the city level for the most recent month by the total units and a year-over-year comparison of the same. The lowest rate received maximum points.

2. Page Views (Maximum score: 30 points)

The page views score was calculated as the total number of monthly page views for the most recent month at the city level divided by the total renter population in the city and a year-over-year comparison of the same. Page views are defined as a unique user interaction on a specific page in a 30-minute window.

3. Favorites (Maximum score: 15 points)

The favorites score was calculated as the total monthly rental listings added to favorites at the city level for the most current month divided by the total renter population in the city and a year-over-year comparison of the same. A favorite is defined as a rental listing saved to favorites by a website visitor.

4. Saved Searches (Maximum score: 15 points)

The saved searches score was calculated as the total number of monthly saved searches at the city level for the most current month divided by the total renter population in the city and a year-over-year comparison of the same. A saved search is defined as a filtered/personalized apartment search saved by a website visitor.

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