Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Construction Coverage.
Approximately 44 million U.S. households (or 35% of the total) are renters, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Renters tend to move much more frequently than homeowners.
For example, 51% of renters surveyed in the 2019 American Community Survey reported moving into their current home within the past two years compared to just 15% of homeowners.
While the majority of renters move frequently, about 5.5% of U.S. renter households have been in the same residence for more than 20 years. For a variety of demographic, economic, and cultural reasons, this percentage is far higher in certain parts of the country.
To find the cities where existing renters stay put the longest, researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The researchers ranked cities according to the percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20 years or more.
Researchers also calculated the percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10 years or more, the percentage of households that rent, the total number of renter households, and median monthly housing costs for renters.
Here are the cities with the largest share of renters who haven’t moved in at least 20 years.
15. Miami, FL
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 5.4%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 17.2%
- Percentage of households that rent: 70.4%
- Total renter households: 133,206
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,298
14. Baltimore, MD
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 5.6%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 15.5%
- Percentage of households that rent: 52.4%
- Total renter households: 127,170
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,090
13. Anaheim, CA
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 5.6%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 21.5%
- Percentage of households that rent: 53.9%
- Total renter households: 56,731
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,733
12. Philadelphia, PA
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 5.9%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 16.2%
- Percentage of households that rent: 47.7%
- Total renter households: 295,783
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,079
11. El Paso, TX
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 5.9%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 17.6%
- Percentage of households that rent: 42.5%
- Total renter households: 94,700
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $847
10. Long Beach, CA
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 6.3%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 19.8%
- Percentage of households that rent: 60.8%
- Total renter households: 100,745
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,460
9. Washington, D.C.
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 6.8%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 17.2%
- Percentage of households that rent: 58.5%
- Total renter households: 170,582
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,603
8. Detroit, MI
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 6.8%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 17.6%
- Percentage of households that rent: 52.2%
- Total renter households: 139,338
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $866
7. Chicago, IL
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 7.0%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 19.7%
- Percentage of households that rent: 55.8%
- Total renter households: 603,352
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,134
6. Cleveland, OH
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 7.4%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 19.8%
- Percentage of households that rent: 60.0%
- Total renter households: 102,925
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $725
5. Boston, MA
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 7.5%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 22.8%
- Percentage of households that rent: 65.3%
- Total renter households: 177,351
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,735
4. Oakland, CA
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 9.4%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 25.4%
- Percentage of households that rent: 58.7%
- Total renter households: 98,857
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,600
3. Los Angeles, CA
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 11.0%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 27.4%
- Percentage of households that rent: 63.5%
- Total renter households: 887,785
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,554
2. San Francisco, CA
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 14.9%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 33.3%
- Percentage of households that rent: 62.9%
- Total renter households: 229,999
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,959
1. New York, NY
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20+ years: 20.4%
- Percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10+ years: 39.3%
- Percentage of households that rent: 68.1%
- Total renter households: 2,188,214
- Median monthly housing costs for renters: $1,483
Methodology
To find the cities where renters never move, researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
The researchers ranked cities according to the percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 20 years or more. Researchers also calculated the percentage of renters who haven’t moved in 10 years or more, the percentage of households that rent, the total number of renter households, and median monthly housing costs for renters.
To improve relevance, only cities with at least 100,000 people were included in the analysis.
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