A new analysis of 150 cities found that two of Arizona’s are among the best in the country for renting — and they’re prodbably not what you would guess.
Apartment rental website RentCafe's annual report on the best cities for renters used 20 metrics to calculate rankings — including cost of living, share of high-end apartments in the area, rate of the population with higher learning degrees, and renters’ household median income growth. To qualify for the analysis, a city needed at least 10,000 apartment units
Those particular metrics surely account for Gilbert (No. 12) and Scottsdale (No. 15) — two of the East Valley’s wealthier cities, hardly known locally as meccas for renters — both cracking the national top 20. A 2024 Rentometer analysis found that Scottsdale had the state's highest average rent prices, at nearly $4,000 a month. Gilbert's average rent was just under $2,400, still among the most expensive cities in Arizona.
Scottsdale is hardly known for its welcoming attitude toward renters, a reputation only deepening with the new MAGA conservative majority controlling the city council. A former councilmember told the Arizona Republic that “anybody who has voted for more apartments has been soundly defeated.”
Several apartment complex developers have reportedly shied away from building new housing in the city because of its hostility. That included Axon, which had to back out of building a 1,900-unit complex near its proposed new headquarters. And earlier this month a renter in Scottsdale made headlines when a property management company dinged him $4,000 for posting a pair of one-star reviews of his mold-infested condo.
A major factor boosting Scottsdale in these rankings was its quality of life, the seventh-best in the country. Its share of renter households, at 32%, was among the lowest rates among the entire bunch. Notably, Scottsdale had a high-end apartment rate of 83%, which was among of the highest. The study found high-end apartments translate to a great city to rent in — which might well be true, if you’ve got money to throw around.
Gilbert’s cost of living and housing had a strong influence over its high ranking. Its high-end apartment rate, at 87%, was even higher than Scottsdale’s.
Cities in the American South swept the top 10 of the RentCafe.com rankings. McKinney, Texas was the best city for renters, confirmation that "best for renters" and "best for being alive" are assuredly two separate circles on this Venn diagram. Among cities in the West, Gilbert and Scottsdale were ranked first and third, respectively.
