Apartment living in Texas is good.
According to RentCafe, four of the nation’s 10 best rental cities are in the Lone Star State. Plano came in second in its ranking behind Charleston, South Carolina.
The North Austin suburb of Round Rock was named the sixth best rental market, followed by Austin at seventh. The lakeside town of Conroe, about 40 miles north of Houston, came in ninth. The college town of Denton was the only other Texas city to make the top 20, at No. 19.
RentCafe analyzed the rental market in 140 cities, weighing metrics such as apartment quality, local economy, transportation, air quality and natural amenities. This data was then grouped into three broader categories: cost of living and housing; local economy; and quality of life.
According to the data, Plano ranks second in the local economy and sixth in quality of life. The apartment occupancy rate in the Collin County suburb north of Dallas is just under 95%, with 78.2% of high-end apartments and a 62% lease renewal rate.
Round Rock and Austin scored higher in the cost of living and housing categories, ranking second and tenth, respectively. Occupancy rates in both cities are hovering around 95%, and the local economies are in the top 20. Round Rock has a higher proportion of high-end condos, at 75 percent, compared with 65 percent in Austin. However, Austin has a slightly higher proportion of new condos.
Meanwhile, Conroe ranks first for cost of living and housing. Its occupancy rate is just under 94%, with a high occupancy rate of 72% for high-end apartments.
Denton, about 40 miles north of Dallas and Fort Worth, ranks seventh for cost of living and housing. The occupancy rate is as high as 94.3%, and the lease renewal rate is 62%.
