Q3 2025 Renter Engagement Tracker: Cincinnati edges D.C. for top spot, Midwest is most in-demand region

With the peak rental season winding down, we took a closer look at renter activity during 2025’s third quarter, which is typically the busiest time of the year for moving. Using RentCafe.com renter engagement data, we identified the cities that garnered the most interest from apartment-hunters from July through September.

This summer, more renters turned to online tools to get organized about their apartment search. Instead of simply browsing, people are increasingly saving listings, setting alerts, and narrowing their options to match what matters most — whether that’s finding pet-friendly homes, proximity to work, or better value for their budget.

Across the country, both major metros and emerging markets saw stronger engagement, with renters comparing more apartments and acting faster when they found a good fit. The Midwest, in particular, drew more attention than ever, signaling that many of its “hidden gem” markets are no longer a secret.

Check out our first quarter report and our mid-year check-in to see how the rankings have evolved this year.

Cincinnati is most sought-after city by renters in Q3 2025

1. Cincinnati

More people are checking out apartments in Cincinnati than before. Renters are not just browsing — they’re saving more listings they like and setting up alerts for new ones that fit their needs. With this growing interest and organized search behavior, Cincinnati claims the top spot this quarter after climbing four places in the rankings.

• Page views were up 34%.
• Listings added to favorites jumped 52%.
• Saved searches grew 56%.

Together, these changes reflect renters’ growing interest in this Midwest hub as they explore more affordable options during the busiest season for moving.

Most renter engagement in Cincinnati comes from nearby Columbus, OH, as well as Indianapolis and Chicago.

2. Atlanta

Apartment-seekers in Atlanta are taking a more thoughtful approach to their searches. Many are browsing more listings before saving favorites, showing that they’re weighing their options carefully. This steady, engaged activity helped Atlanta take second place this quarter, moving up two spots in the rankings.

• Saved searches grew 13%.
• Favorites fell 7%.

Even so, Atlanta continues to dominate in engagement — ranking #1 nationally for favorites and #4 for saved searches. This means renters are still seriously considering apartments in the city but may be approaching the search more thoughtfully amid rising competition.

Beyond local interest, Atlanta apartments attracted the most engagement from New York City; Sandy Springs, GA; and Marietta, GA.

3. Kansas City, MO

• Page views increased 50%.
• Both favorited listings and saved searches more than doubled.

This mix points to an expanding audience of renters researching the market and shortlisting apartments, showing that Kansas City remains one of the Midwest’s most desirable and active rental hubs.

Top activity for this city came from apartment hunters in Kansas City, KS, along with Overland Park, KS; Denver; and Chicago.

4. Washington, D.C.

• Page views rose 16%.
• Listings added to favorites increased 21%.
• Saved searches grew 29%.

These trends show that renters are still eager to find homes in the nation’s capital, even as competition makes the search more challenging.

Most online activity here comes from renters from Baltimore; New York City; and Reston, VA.

5. Las Vegas

• Page views rose 51%.
• Listings added to favorites more than doubled.
• Saved searches jumped 157%.

All this activity points to more renters seeing Las Vegas as a place to settle, with new homes and growing job options fueling that interest.

Interest in Las Vegas apartments comes from renters hailing from Los Angeles, New York City, and Phoenix.

6. Minneapolis

• Page views dipped slightly.
• Listings added to favorites decreased modestly.
• Saved searches rose 44%.

This steady level of activity shows that renters in Minneapolis continue to explore the market actively, thereby keeping the city among the most-watched in the Midwest.

Here, most of the online activity comes from apartment-seekers from St. Paul, MN; Chicago; and Bloomington, MN.

7. Philadelphia

• Page views rose 41%, and favorites climbed 51%.
• Saved searches grew 42%.

Together, these trends show that renters are keeping a close eye on Philadelphia’s housing options, especially as available apartments across the Northeast remain limited.

Philadelphia attracted the strongest renter engagement from New York City; Boston; and Houston.

8. Cleveland

• Page views increased 34%.
• Saved searches rose 41%.

Overall, these changes point to renewed renter engagement in Cleveland’s expanding pool of rental apartments.

Interest in Cleveland apartments comes from renters in nearby Cleveland Heights, OH; Columbus, OH; and Chicago.

9. Long Beach, CA

Long Beach is attracting more renters than before. People are not only looking at more listings, but they’re also saving searches to help them find apartments that match more closely what they’re looking for. The city surged up five places, breaking into the top ten cities for renter interest for the first time this year.

• Page views jumped 64%.
• Saved searches nearly doubled.

These strong results reflect Long Beach’s growing appeal, as renters are drawn to its coastal setting, revitalized downtown, and proximity to major job hubs in Los Angeles and Orange County — all with a more laid back atmosphere than its larger neighbors.

Besides locals, interest in apartments in Long Beach comes from Los Angeles; Anaheim, CA; and San Diego.

10. St. Paul, MN

• Listings added to favorites rose 38%.
• Saved searches skyrocketed 191% — the largest increase in the top 10.

This surge in search activity indicates that renters are keeping a close eye on new listings across the Twin Cities area as they weigh their housing options heading into fall.

Here, most of the online activity comes from apartment seekers from Minneapolis; Chicago; and Woodbury, MN.

Meet the newcomers: 8 new cities enter this quarter’s rankings

Eight new cities entered the top 30 renter engagement rankings this quarter. For some, like Queens, NY; Dallas; and San Francisco, it’s a clear sign of more renters searching for apartments near major job centers and transit.

In other cases (St. Louis; Birmingham, AL; and Knoxville, TN) the increase comes as renters get more organized with their searches in emerging markets where more rental options are becoming available.

Of these newcomers, three are from the South, two from the Northeast, two from the West, and one from the Midwest.

Leading the newcomers this quarter is Queens, NY, which jumped 16 spots as more renters explored listings across the borough. Drawn by Queens’ mix of relative affordability and easy access to Manhattan jobs and transit, renters are browsing more and fine-tuning their searches for pet-friendly one-bedrooms near subway lines.

• Page views were up 42%
• Listings added to favorites increased 60%
• Saved searches rose 60%

Close behind, Dallas climbed 25 positions as renter activity surged. Strong double-digit growth in both favorites and saved searches shows that renters are targeting modern, amenity-rich apartments in one of the nation’s fastest-growing metros.

On the West Coast, San Francisco rose 23 spots despite small dips in other engagement metrics. Renters doubled their saved searches (+101%), a sign of focused intent in one of the country’s most competitive housing markets, often filtering for smaller units or rent deals in central neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, Seattle advanced 16 places as renters became more deliberate in their apartment hunts. Saved searches climbed 39% and favorites grew 12%, reflecting steady demand near major employers and urban hubs.

The Midwest is most in-demand region

Regionally, renter interest continues to concentrate in the Midwest, followed by strong activity in the South and West. The Midwest leads the nation in Q3 2025, placing 11 cities in the top 30 — including four in the top 10. The South follows with eight cities, reflecting steady demand in major metros. The West contributes seven entries, showing consistent engagement across both coastal and inland hubs. Meanwhile, the Northeast sees its strongest quarter yet, with four cities breaking into the top 30 after several periods of underrepresentation.

Midwest

The Midwest leads the rankings in 2025’s third quarter with more cities in the top 30 than any other region:

• Cincinnati – #1 in the Midwest and in the U.S.
• Kansas City, MO – #2 regionally and #3 nationally
• Minneapolis – #3 in the Midwest and #6 in the U.S.
• Cleveland – #4 regionally and #8 nationally
• St. Paul, MN – #5 in the Midwest and #10 in the U.S.
• Chicago – #6 regionally and #11 nationally
• Columbus, OH – #7 in the Midwest and #12 in the U.S.
• Overland Park, KS – #8 regionally and #13 nationally
• Detroit – #9 in the Midwest and #16 in the U.S.
• Grand Rapids, MI – #10 regionally and #17 nationally
• St. Louis – #11 in the Midwest and #27 in the U.S.

South

Renter activity across the South remained strong this quarter, with eight cities ranking among the nation’s most sought-after rental markets:

• Atlanta – #1 in the South and #2 nationally
• Washington, D.C. – #2 in the region and #4 nationally
• Fort Lauderdale, FL – #3 in the South and #14 nationally
• Louisville, KY – #4 regionally and #18 nationally
• Dallas – #5 in the South and #22 nationally
• Orlando, FL – #6 regionally and #28 nationally
• Birmingham, AL – #7 in the South and #29 nationally
• Knoxville, TN – #8 regionally and #30 nationally

West

In the West, renter engagement remained steady in the third quarter of 2025 with several major cities advancing in the national rankings:

• Las Vegas – #1 in the West and #5 in the U.S.
• Long Beach, CA – #2 regionally and #9 nationally
• Los Angeles – #3 in the West and #15 in the U.S.
• Oakland, CA – #4 regionally and #21 nationally
• San Francisco – #5 in the West and #23 in the U.S.
• San Jose, CA – #6 regionally and #24 nationally
• Seattle – #7 in the West and #25 in the U.S.

Northeast

Finally, the Northeast achieved its strongest performance to date, with four cities placing in the top 30 and signaling rising renter engagement in the region:

• Philadelphia – #1 in the Northeast and #7 in the U.S.
• Queens, NY – #2 regionally and #19 nationally
• Bronx, NY – #3 in the Northeast and #20 in the U.S.
• Boston – #4 regionally and #26 nationally

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 quarter in 2025 versus the same quarter 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 quarter 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 page views for the most recent quarter 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 rental listings added to favorites at the city level for the most current quarter 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 saved searches at the city level for the most current quarter 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.

Fair use and redistribution

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