Renter Satisfaction Survey Findings

Where are renters the happiest living? We surveyed over 10,000 renters around the U.S and Canada to determine the satisfaction of residents in a particular location. 

Survey respondents were asked to rate their city on a scale of 1-5 on topics including housing affordability, cost of living, public transportation, nightlife, weather, outdoor enjoyment, schools, and job opportunities. Read on to learn key insights and takeaways from the findings, as well as the full methodology below. 

Key takeaways 

• Residents in Canada have a higher overall satisfaction than residents in the United States. 
• Valdosta, GA has the highest percent of satisfaction related to housing affordability. 
• California residents are generally more satisfied than residents in other U.S cities, with three California cities in the top 10 for overall satisfaction. 

Canada vs. US

Based on our findings, respondents in Canada are generally more satisfied than residents in the U.S, with 66% of respondents rating Canada a four or five out of five, versus 60% of U.S residents. However, residents in the United States are more satisfied with housing affordability and cost of living than those in Canada.

The most and least satisfied states and cities 

States ranked by overall satisfaction:

1. HI
2. SD
3. WY
4. IA
5. UT
6. CA
7. GA
8. SC
9. TX
10. NV

States ranked by the lowest overall satisfaction:

1. WV 
2. VT
3. ME
4. IN
5. CT
6. DE
7. KS
8. CO
9. NH
10. OK

Cities ranked by the highest overall satisfaction:

1. Lithonia, GA
2. Revere, MA
3. Grand Rapids, MI
4. Anderson, SC
5. Cleveland, TN
6. Chula Vsta, CA
7. North Little Rock, AR
8. Fullerton, CA
9. Fontana, CA
10. Bowling Green, KY

Cities ranked by the lowest overall satisfaction: 

1. Pontiac, MI
2. Trenton, NJ
3. Flagstaff, AZ
4. Lorain, OH
5. Amarillo, TX
6. Hampton, VA
7. Oshkosh, WI
8. New Haven, CT
9. Hartford, CT
10. Reading, PA

Largest decrease in overall satisfaction year over year

These 10 cities saw the largest decrease in overall satisfaction between 2022 and 2023:

1. Fremont, CA
2. Boise, ID
3. Westland, MI
4. West Haven, CT
5. Amarillo, TX
6. Sioux Falls, SD
7. Buffalo, NY
8. Hawthorne, CA
9. Largo, FL
10. Springfield, MA

Largest increase in overall satisfaction year over year

These 10 cities saw the largest increase in overall satisfaction between 2022 and 2023:

1. Lincoln, NE
2. Irvington, NJ
3. Winchester, VA
4. Vancouver, WA
5. Rockford, IL
6. Vallejo, CA
7. Cohoes, NY
8. New Haven, CT
9. Ocala, FL
10. Overland Park, KS

Methodology

We surveyed over 10,000 residents across the US and Canada with questions related to satisfaction in cities, states, and provinces. Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction in each designated category on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most satisfied and 1 being the least satisfied. Only locations with 5 or more responses were counted towards the total. Responses were then averaged to determine the overall satisfaction percentage of each location for the given category.