Did you know that you should spend no more than 30% of your monthly income on rent and utilities? The 30% rule is something that many Californians can only aspire to as they keep an eye on local rental rates and live on strict budgets. California is one of the most rent-burdened states in the U.S., a fact that’s certainly not lost on San Francisco residents.
USA Today recently put out a ranking of the best U.S. cities for renters, based on data from the Zillow Observed Rent Index, the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Yelp. Read on for a breakdown of the cheapest places to rent in California, the best and worst cities for renters in California, and more.
What’s the best city for renters in California?
Jumpscare warning: Santa Clara ranked #10 out of 315 U.S. cities analyzed as the best cities for renters. This is a result of its high annual rental income of $136,060, which is enough to take on Santa Clara’s typical rent of $3,123 — incidentally some of the highest in the state. With only 36.9% of renters rent-burdened (paying over 30% of income), the Bay Area city outranked everywhere else in California.
After Santa Clara you’ll find a few more Bay Area cities ranking highly as good cities for renters: Sunnyvale ranked #38 overall, followed by Fremont at #106 and San Mateo at #109.
Which city has the cheapest rent in California?
According to the study, Chico has the cheapest rent in California, with the typical rent listed at $1,659. However, it ranked down at #136 of the best cities for renters due to having 61.5% of renters rent-burdened.
You’ll find the most expensive rent in California in Carlsbad with a typical rent of $3,504 and an overall renter-friendly ranking of #279.
What’s the worst city for renters in California?
Many California cities rounded out the bottom of the list as the worst cities for renters in the United States. The very last spot at #315 is held by Menifee, a city in Riverside County with 78.8% of renters rent-burdened.
Nine of the country’s ten worst cities for renters are in California, including familiar names like Richmond, Hayward, Palmdale, Oceanside, and Antioch.
Methodology
USA TODAY Homefront used more than just average rent prices, incomes, and rent burden to create its ranking. Their team pulled data across 19 metrics for all 315 U.S. cities to determine the best cities for renters in the United States.
Additional metrics included regional price parity per the Bureau of Economic Analysis; the number of violent and property crimes; the percentage of vacant rentals; the number of restaurants, bars, kids activities, and parks; walkability; school district ratings; the number of listings allowing dogs and cats; rentals built in 2020 or later; and types of rentals available.
You can read USA TODAY’s full study here.