Hottest Rental Markets in Early 2025: Chicagoland’s Rise Challenges Miami

At the start of 2025, the Midwest emerged as the most competitive region for apartment-hunters with 10 metros in the top 20. In particular, Suburban Chicago (ranked second in the U.S.) has positioned itself as a close rival to the number one, Miami, which — despite Florida’s market cooling throughout the past year — continues to lead the nation. Meanwhile, the city of Chicago secures 18th place, further cementing Chicagoland’s strong presence among the country’s hottest rental markets.

The Midwest’s appeal to remote workers seeking affordability and more space is also evident in smaller metros. The region claims six spots in the small rental markets ranking, with Lafayette, IN, taking third place.

Challenged by high home prices and overall living costs, many renters are exploring new housing options in early 2025 to better meet their needs. Whether they’re chasing career growth in major urban hubs, seeking a quieter lifestyle in smaller locations, or simply looking for a fresh start in a new neighborhood in their current area, apartment hunters need to plan ahead and weigh their options well before the peak rental season begins.

So, what are the most competitive rental markets at the start of 2025? To rank the nation’s hottest renting spots, RentCafe.com looked at the 139 largest U.S. markets where data was available. We focused on the five key metrics for rental competitiveness:

• the number of days apartments were vacant
• the percentage of apartments that were occupied by renters
• the number of prospective renters competing for an apartment
• the percentage of renters who renewed their leases
• the share of new apartments completed recently

Next, to measure the competitiveness of the U.S. rental market at the start of the year, we calculated a Rental Competitiveness Index (RCI). In doing so, we found that the national RCI score was 75.7, indicating a very competitive rental market for apartment-hunters right now.

Surging renewal rates keep the rental market very competitive despite more apartments built nationwide

New apartment construction was at a record high last year, yet the U.S. rental market hasn’t eased much as of early 2025. In fact, of the 139 markets analyzed, only 11% have experienced any noticeable easing compared to the start of 2024. Moreover, although the number of available apartments has increased slightly by 0.75% compared to last year’s 0.67% growth, there are still not enough rental units to meet demand.

This limited supply has driven lease renewal rates to 63.1% at the start of 2025, up from 61.5% a year earlier. Furthermore, the national apartment occupancy rate remains high at 93.3%, which is just slightly above the 93% recorded at the beginning of 2024. Additionally, the average time to rent a vacant apartment is now 43 days, which is two days longer than a year ago, even with the same seven prospective renters competing for each unit.

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What other factors are fueling rental competitiveness across the U.S.?

• Starting in 2025, we also look at the average length of stay for renters, new lease terms and renewal lengths.
• We’ve found a strong link between initial lease lengths and renewal terms — renters who start with longer leases are more likely to renew for extended periods.
• Markets where renters tend to stay longer also see higher lease renewal rates.
• This trend is most evident in high-demand, low-supply regions like the Northeast, where renters stay for just over three years on average. Consequently, nearly 95% of apartments remain occupied, and with limited options, 70% of renters choose to renew their leases. This is especially true in major markets such as New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia, including their suburban areas.
• In contrast, in regions with greater apartment availability and more flexible market conditions, renters typically don’t stay as long. In the South, for example, the average length of stay is around two years, with about 66% of renters renewing their leases.

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At the start of 2025, the Midwest emerged as the most competitive U.S. region for renters by boasting the highest RCI score at 79.5, which is 3.8 points above the national average. The Northeast follows closely in third place with an RCI score of 79, very narrowly surpassing Florida at 78.9.

Next, the Mid-Atlantic secures an RCI score of 77.8, outpacing California at 75.9 by nearly two points. Hot on California’s heels is the South with an RCI score of 75.7. Then, following at a great distance is the Southeast (RCI score 71.6) slightly edging out the Southwest (RCI score 71.4) and the West (RCI score 71.2). At the bottom of the rankings, the Pacific Northwest has the lowest RCI score of 71, sitting 4.7 points below the national benchmark for competitiveness.

Miami remains red-hot but competition is fierce in suburban locations around Chicago, New York City

Despite Florida’s evident softening throughout last year and a strong challenge from Chicagoland in the peak season for moving, Miami continues to reign supreme as the most competitive rental market in the U.S. at the start of 2025. Notably, the metro’s RCI score of 93.1 significantly exceeds the national average by 17.4 points.

Throughout the last few years, Miami has established itself as “Wall Street South,” attracting major banking institutions and investment firms, while existing industries like tech and healthcare continue to grow, bringing in more workers. Plus, Miami’s lack of income tax and its location at the crossroads of the Americas remain major draws for professionals and businesses. And, with an unemployment rate of just 2.5% as of late 2024, job opportunities are plentiful, making Miami even more attractive and keeping the rental market red-hot.

That said, vacant apartments are filling up faster here than in any other major metro, often within just 36 days and with 14 renters competing for each available unit, which is double the national average. While Miami’s supply of apartments grew by 1.39% in recent months — only surpassed by fellow Floridians Jacksonville (1.76%) and Broward County (1.47%) among the top 20 metros — options remain scarce. Across the metro, a staggering 96.3% of apartments are occupied, keeping the competition fierce for those looking to secure a rental place.

Plus, making things even more difficult for apartment-hunters, more than three-quarters (76%) of those already renting in Miami renewed their leases, up from 73.4% in the first months of 2024.

Securing an apartment in Chicagoland has become incredibly tough

Riding the wave of Hipsturbia and benefiting from the Midwest’s economic upswing, Suburban Chicago positioned itself as the second-hottest rental market in early 2025 (RCI score 88.4). In this case, its affordability, strong job market, access to public transit and the rise of thriving suburban downtowns are a big draw for renters.  However, insufficient available housing in places like Oak Brook, IL; Evanston, IL; Arlington Heights, IL; Deerfield, IL;  Barrington, IL;  Naperville, IL; or  Glenview, IL make apartment hunting a real challenge.

Meanwhile, with 70.4% of renters choosing to renew their leases (up from 68.2% in early 2024), occupancy has climbed to 95.4%, as compared to 95% a year ago. And, new housing supply only grew by 0.26%, a sharp drop from the 0.51% increase seen at the start of 2024. As a result, vacant apartments now fill within 39 days, on average (only two days longer than last year), while the number of applicants per unit has remained consistent at 10.

Of course, the suburbs are also attracting spillover from renters priced out of Chicago, which ranks 18th among the nation’s top 20 rental markets at the start of 2025 (RCI score 79.3). Just a year ago, the Windy City secured a modest 31st place, so this jump in the rankings demonstrates just how hot this rental market has become.

That said, vacant apartments in Chicago are also filling up faster with vacant units renting in an average of 40 days — two days quicker than at this time last year. Lease renewals have also increased with 59.2% of renters choosing to stay put, up from 58.1% one year prior. Consequently, this has pushed Chicago’s occupancy rate to 94.4%, up from 93.8% in early 2024.

Yet, even with a 0.54% rise in new units — double the 0.26% increase seen a year ago — the supply of apartments is not enough to keep up with demand. Under these circumstances, the competition has heated up with eight renters now vying for each available unit, up from six last year.

North Jersey's close ties to New York City attract renters looking for better value for money

North Jersey ranks as the third-most competitive rental market in the U.S. in early 2025 with an RCI score of 85.7. The area continues to attract professionals looking to stay close to jobs in Manhattan, NY, and Philadelphia, while high-income renters from New York City often relocate here for a better work/life balance without losing access to the city.

At the same time, Millennials and Gen Z renters are drawn to smaller, more efficient living spaces in places like Jersey City, NJ; Newark, NJ; Hoboken, NJ; Union City, NJ; Edgewater, NJ; and Morristown, NJ. Adding to the squeeze, high mortgage rates are keeping more potential buyers in the rental pool.

Finding a rental in North Jersey remains a challenge, largely due to a slowdown in new construction, among other factors. Here, newly built apartments now make up just 0.14% of the local housing supply (down from 0.51% a year ago), keeping demand high and options scarce.

On top of that, 71.4% of renters renewed their leases, pushing the occupancy rate to 95.2%. Thus, it now takes 41 days for vacant units to become occupied (three days faster than at the start of 2024), with the average number of applicants per unit holding steady at nine.

Select California metros have become significantly more competitive than 1 year ago

Since early 2024, several California metros have become more competitive, with their RCI scores rising significantly, mostly driven by higher lease renewal rates and a slowdown in new apartment construction.

In this case, the Inland Empire emerged as the fastest-rising rental market at the start of 2025 with its RCI score surging 9.3 points to 75.5 to rank #36 nationwide. The spike is fueled by a 4.1% increase in lease renewals amid a modest, 0.63% growth in the supply of housing. With more renters relocating from coastal cities in search of affordability and jobs in places like Riverside, CA; Rancho Cucamonga, CA; and San Bernardino, CA, vacant units now fill in 47 days (one day faster than early 2024), and the number of applicants per available unit has jumped from nine to 12.

Likewise, the East Bay area in California — which includes Oakland, CA; Fremont, CA; Hayward, CA; and Richmond, CA —  has also become more competitive with its RCI score jumping 7.6 points to now stand at 72.3 and placing it 49th in the U.S. Of course, remote work continues to shape the apartment landscape. For example, some San Francisco residents move to East Bay locations seeking more space for the money while still being within commuting distance of their jobs.

However, with fewer newly built apartments, the supply has tightened, thereby prompting more renters to stay put. Accordingly, lease renewal rates have climbed to 51.2%, up from 44.8% in early 2024, and further limiting the available options. As a result, apartments are filling up faster than last year, with even more renters competing for each vacant unit.

Our thoughts are with the Los Angeles residents affected by the January wildfires, especially those who lost their homes. As the area recovers, it’s too early to assess the full effect on rental market competitiveness. However, our data indicates that Los Angeles (already a tight rental market) has become even more competitive at the very start of 2025. In particular, Western Los Angeles County’s RCI score gained 6.2 points in the last year to now reach 71. That can be largely attributed to an increase in lease renewals combined with a decline in new apartments opened across high-demand places like Beverly Hills, CA; Culver City, CA; and Santa Monica, CA.

What's more, the area will likely see even greater demand in the coming months, and so will many nearby locations. Rental applications are expected to surge due to more than 100,000 displaced residents, which will put more pressure on available housing and influence lease renewals.

Manhattan, NY, sees the 2nd-biggest surge in rental market competitiveness at the start of the year

On the East Coast, Manhattan, NY, shines as the second-fastest rising market for rental competitiveness, as evidenced by the 8.2-point surge in its RCI score that now stands at 77.3. However, despite this spike in competitiveness, Manhattan falls short of the top 20, ranking 26th nationwide.

With the local supply of housing increasing by a mere 0.25% in recent months, demand remains very high: 66% of renters renewed their leases, leaving less than 5% of apartments available. As a result, apartments in Manhattan now fill three days faster than a year ago, averaging 45 days (compared to 48 in early 2024), while each vacant unit attracts seven eager renters — two more than at this time last year.

Meanwhile, apartment-hunters looking for better deals in New York City may find some relief in outer boroughs like Brooklyn, NY (#33 in the U.S.; RCI score 76.2) and Queens, NY (#65 nationwide; RCI score 65.8), where competition has softened thanks to a wave of newly built apartments.

The Midwest by far dominates the rankings, claiming 10 of the top 20 metros

The Midwest is the hottest region for renters in early 2025, claiming 10 of the nation’s top 20 most competitive markets. Here, affordable prices, good job opportunities, and outdoor perks attract plenty of newcomers and keep local renters engaged as they search for their happy place, but a slower pace of construction makes securing apartments even more challenging.

Beyond Chicagoland, renters are having a particularly hard time locking in leases in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Specifically, the Lansing-Ann Arbor metro area is the second-hottest rental market in the Midwest and fourth in the U.S., boasting an RCI score of 85.4. With zero new apartments built in the past year, demand continues to outpace supply, especially as the University of Michigan attracts students and faculty, and as tech and medical industries draw in more workers.

Notably, with only about 5% of apartments in Lansing-Ann Arbor available for rent at the start of the year, lease renewals surged to 76%. That number was only surpassed by renewals in Central Jersey (80.7%) and Suburban Philadelphia (77.1%). As such, an average of six applicants find themselves competing for each vacant unit, which is typically filled within 38 days.

Following at a short distance is Grand Rapids, MI, the third-hottest renting spot in the Midwest and sixth nationwide (RCI score 85.3). The metro is home to a large concentration of Millennial and Gen Z renters, with demand largely driven by students and young professionals moving from bigger cities. Unlike Lansing-Ann Arbor, new apartments in Grand Rapids make up 1.03% of all rentals, but even that isn’t enough to meet demand.

That's because housing is still in short supply, so nearly three-quarters of renters renewed their leases, which has pushed the occupancy in Grand Rapids to a high 95.6%. Therefore, vacant units now fill in 38 days — one day faster than at this time last year — while competition has increased to seven renters per unit, up from six in early 2024.

Staying in Michigan, Detroit breaks into the top 20 to rank 12th among the nation’s most competitive rental markets and eighth in the Midwest, with an RCI score of 80.9 (up from 75.3 last year). In this case, Motown’s ongoing urban revitalization, expanding business districts, and influx of students and young workers have fueled rental activity in the area throughout the last year.

Despite these efforts, Detroit’s rental supply has grown by just 0.11% in recent months, keeping options tight. As a result, nearly 70% of renters renewed their leases (up from 67.7% in early 2024), pushing the occupancy rate to 93.5%, up from 92.6% last year. Apartments in Detroit now take an average of 43 days to fill, and each vacant unit draws competition from seven renters — one more than at the start of 2024.

Not enough apartments, high home prices maintain a super-tight market for renters in the Northeast

The Northeast is experiencing intense rental competition in several key metropolitan areas, largely due to a shortage of available apartments and soaring lease renewal rates. Plus, with homeownership still out of reach for many, residents are staying in the rental market longer. Also, some remote workers are moving away from the hustle and bustle of major cities, even as the Northeast's top-tier universities continue to draw students. This has led to increased competition in commuter towns and suburbs, as renters look for more space and affordability while remaining close to their jobs.

So, after North Jersey, Suburban Philadelphia ranks as the second-hottest rental market in the Northeast and fifth nationwide with its RCI score rising 7.1 points in the last 12 months to 85.3 now. It's worth noting that this area boasts strong, stable employment thanks to major employers like Penn Medicine and Comcast. Plus, the walkable town centers in places like Ambler, PA; West Chester, PA; and King of Prussia, PA, are a big draw for renters looking for convenient living and plenty of amenities.

But, with almost no new apartments opened recently, a staggering 77.1% of residents renewed in early 2025(up from 75.3% one year ago), leaving roughly 5% of units available for prospective renters. And, faced with insufficient supply, each vacant unit now attracts nine applicants (two more compared to early 2024) and is filled within 44 days, on average.

Then, ranking third in the Northeast and ninth in the U.S., the Bridgeport-New Haven, CT, metro area is also very competitive (RCI score 84.2). This high ranking is mostly driven by a significant jump in lease renewals, up 3.9% since early 2024 to 66.4%, which has pushed the occupancy to an impressive 95.4%.

Although the area’s housing supply has seen a slight increase of 0.81% since the beginning of 2024, available apartments remain scarce. Adding to the challenge, student demand has intensified competition with 10 applicants vying for each vacant unit, which is typically rented within 40 days.

Fayetteville, AR, the hottest small rental market, sees sky-high renewals, leaving renters with very few options

More evenly distributed across the U.S., small markets are facing the same level of rental competitiveness, and their apartment hunters are feeling similar pressure to secure a place. In this category, the Midwest boasts six spots in the top 20 small rental markets, but one particular location in the South ranks first.

Fayetteville, AR, leads the nation as the hottest small rental market in early 2025 by earning an RCI score of 91.7, which is an increase of 3.6 points from one year ago. As part of the booming Northwest Arkansas, the area is home to major employers like Walmart and the University of Arkansas, attracting lots of workers and students in need of housing.

In fact, the demand for apartments in Fayetteville is so high that vacant units are snatched up in a mere 22 days — the fastest turnaround in the U.S. Adding to the challenge, the pool of rental apartments has only grown by a modest 0.49% recently. This has pushed more than 75.4% of renters to renew (up from 74.3% one year ago), leaving only 3% of units available for apartment seekers. Thus, each vacancy now attracts an average of nine applicants, up from six at the start of 2024.

With an RCI score of 90.5 — marking a 4.7-point increase since early 2024 — Lehigh Valley, PA, is the second-hottest small rental market in the U.S. Here, no new apartments have been built recently, driving lease renewals to 80% (trailing only Central Jersey) and pushing the occupancy rate to 96.5%, up from 96.1% one year ago. With very few options available, 13 renters are now competing for each unit (three more compared to this time last year), and apartments are filling within just 38 days.

Moving to the Midwest, Lafayette, IN, has become the third-most competitive small rental market nationwide after achieving an RCI score of 87.4. This surge is fueled by a growing population of students, tech workers, and manufacturing employees.

Similar to other competitive markets, a lack of new apartment construction has driven lease renewals up significantly in Lafayette to reach 73.1% — a sharp, 4.7% increase since early 2024 — and leave less than 4% of units available. Consequently, each vacancy attracts an average of 10 applicants and is typically rented within 34 days.

Boise, ID, skyrockets through the rankings along with Jackson, MS, and Texas' Lubbock and Amarillo

Across the country, the combination of insufficient apartments and rising lease renewals has driven up competition in several smaller markets. For example, Boise, ID, shines as the top-trending small rental market. Its RCI score rose 14.4 points to reach 82.1 at the start of the year, propelling it straight to eighth place nationally. This dramatic rise is largely due to Boise’s affordability compared to other Western cities; its unique blend of urban amenities and outdoor recreation; a burgeoning tech and startup scene; and a strong local economy with plenty of jobs.

However, new apartment construction has slowed significantly, with housing supply increasing by just 0.77% recently, down from 4.3% a year ago. So, with not enough apartments to meet demand, 59.1% of renters chose to renew their leases (up from 57.6% in early 2024), leaving only about 5% of units available. Apartments in Boise now fill two days faster than last year (often within 36 days), with 13 applicants per vacant unit. That's three more prospective renters per unit compared to one year ago.

Jackson, MS, is another rapidly rising small rental market that climbs to ninth place nationally with an 8.4-point jump in its RCI score (now at 81.3) since early 2024. Attracted by the expanding data center construction and EV battery cell production in the region, more people are relocating to Jackson for work.

Of course, this influx of residents — coupled with zero new apartments opened recently — has created a severe housing shortage. The lack of rentals is reflected in the high lease renewal rate of 73.1%, which is a 6.4% increase from a year ago, and contributes to a 93% occupancy rate (up 3.7% since early 2024). As a matter of fact, the competition for vacant units has nearly doubled in the past year, going from four to seven applicants per unit, and apartments are now rented within 38 days — two days faster than at the same time last year.

Similarly, two Texas rental markets — Lubbock (#19 nationally) and Amarillo (#17) — have also broken into the top 20, becoming more competitive than a year ago. In these locations, as well, this surge is largely due to rising lease renewals and a lack of new apartments. To be precise, Lubbock’s RCI score climbed 7.6 points to 78.4, while Amarillo saw a 6.8-point increase to reach 79.1.

Not to be outdone, several other small rental markets have also heated up at the start of 2025. Namely, Columbus, GA, and New Orleans both experienced a 6.3-point rise in their RCI scores to reach 76.9 and 76, respectively. Toledo, OH, also saw a significant increase, gaining 5.6 points to reach 79.4 and sending it straight to 16th place nationally.

Browse the maps below to see the rental competitivity in other regions in early 2025:

Methodology

RentCafe.com is a nationwide apartment search website that enables renters to easily find apartments and houses for rent throughout the U.S.

To compile this report, RentCafe.com’s research team analyzed Yardi Systems apartment data across 139 rental markets in the U.S. The data comes directly from market-rate, large-scale, multifamily properties of at least 50 units. Fully affordable multifamily properties were excluded.

The markets were ranked based on a market competitive score. To calculate each market’s score, we ranked them according to five metrics and their averages for October through December 2024: apartment occupancy rate; average total days vacant; prospective renters per vacant unit; renewal lease rate; and share of new apartments completed during the same timeframe compared to the existing overall supply at the start of Q4 2024. 

We then compiled an average ranking by assigning a percentage weight for each metric: 30% for apartment occupancy rate; 15% for average vacant days; 15% for prospective renters per vacant unit; 30% for renewal lease rate; and 10% for the share of new apartments.

In this study, the terms “market,” “area,” “metro” and “location” are used interchangeably and are as defined by Yardi Matrix markets.

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