These are the best, and worst, cities for renters in 2024. See how two NJ cities ranked
Jersey City and Newark are hubs of art and culture here in North Jersey, but one report says you might want to avoid them if you're looking for a rental.
In their recent report, the Best and Worst Places to Rent in America in 2024, WalletHub ranked Newark as the 7th worst city for renters among 182 major U.S. cities. Just last month, Forbes Advisor ranked Newark as the overall worst city for renters in the nation for a second year in a row.
While Jersey City also made the list, it wasn't named among either the best or worst cities for renters. The city ranked 65th overall, about the middle of the pack.
This ranking considered data from 21 metrics in two key categories — rental market and affordability, and quality of life — to determine the best and worst cities for renters. All 182 major cities, which include the 150 most populated U.S. cities and at least two of the most populated cities in each state, were scored and ranked based on these metrics.
Source: WalletHub
How did these North Jersey cities get their rankings?
Overall, Newark received a total score of 32 in the report. The city ranked 158th for the rental market and affordability category, and 169th for the quality of life category.
The report also included a few additional rankings for individual metrics in each of the two main categories. When it comes to the cities with the most, and least, affordable rentals, Newark tied with four other cities for having the least affordable rentals available.
Jersey City received a total score of 47.74 in the report. While the city ranked 132nd for quality of life, it ranked 16th overall for the rental market and affordability category.
These cities are best for renters
Bismarck, North Dakota, was named the overall best place for renters by WalletHub. While this city ranked 96th for quality of life, it was first for the rental market and affordability category. The report also said this city has the most affordable rentals available in the nation, and most residents only spend about 15% of their annual income on rent, the lowest in the country.
The remaining five best cities for renters, according to the report, include Overland Park, Kansas; Scottsdale, Arizona; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Lewiston, Maine.
Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@gannett.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Are NJ cities among the best, or worst, cities for renters?