50 Major Cities Where Rent Is Under the National Average
If your mantra every time you move is that the rent is simply too darn high, you’re in good company with the majority of people who not only think buying property is out of the question but also that making rent each month is now becoming more precarious. This holds especially true when you are trying to compete with the ever-increasing cost of living in major metropolitan areas.
Popularity drives demand in real estate, and this is reflected in monthly rents in the largest cities across America. However, not every major city stacks up the same when it comes to the law of averages. To get to the bottom of just where you can live and still pay less than other areas, MoneyLion did some location scouting to find out where there are rental options that won’t necessarily cost you an arm and a leg.
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Key Findings
Some of the cities on this list may surprise you, some may not, but either way, it’s good to know there are still places that are slightly less expensive and come with the amenities and convenience of living in a big city. Here are some key takeaways:
For perspective, the national average monthly rent is $1,931.
The top three cities (Wichita, Kansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Memphis, Tennessee) all have monthly rents that are over 50% below the national average.
Five cities on this list, including Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Dallas, have populations over 1 million people and still come under the average monthly rent.
Twenty cities in this ranking have an average rent of under $1,500 a month.
Here are 50 major cities where rent is under the national average, ranked based on how much they fall under that amount.
1. Wichita, Kansas
Population: 397,945
2026 average rent: $1,129
Amount below national average: $802
Percentage below national average: 41.5%
2. Tulsa, Oklahoma
Population: 413,794
2026 average rent: $1,243
Amount below national average: $688
Percentage below national average: 35.6%
3. Memphis, Tennessee
Population: 618,980
2026 average rent: $1,274
Amount below national average: $657
Percentage below national average: 34%
4. Oklahoma City
Population: 697,125
2026 average rent: $1,304
Amount below national average: $627
Percentage below national average: 32.5%
5. Detroit
Population: 638,530
2026 average rent: $1,331
Amount below national average: $600
Percentage below national average: 31.1%
7. San Antonio, Texas
Population: 1,479,835
2026 average rent: $1,366
Amount below national average: $565
Percentage below national average: 29.2%
8. Louisville, Kentucky
Population: 631,818
2026 average rent: $1,373
Amount below national average: $558
Percentage below national average: 28.9%
9. Tucson, Arizona
Population: 547,073
2026 average rent: $1,400
Amount below national average: $531
Percentage below national average: 27.5%
10. Indianapolis
Population: 885,860
2026 average rent: $1,405
Amount below national average: $526
Percentage below national average: 27.2%
11. Buffalo, New York
Population: 276,854
2026 average rent: $1,407
Amount below national average: $524
Percentage below national average: 27.1%
12. Cleveland
Population: 366,097
2026 average rent: $1,419
Amount below national average: $512
Percentage below national average: 26.5%
13. Kansas City, Missouri
Population: 510,612
2026 average rent: $1,437
Amount below national average: $494
Percentage below national average: 25.6%
14. Milwaukee
Population: 566,973
2026 average rent: $1,439
Amount below national average: $492
Percentage below national average: 25.5%
15. Columbus, Ohio
Population: 914,802
2026 average rent: $1,441
Amount below national average: $490
Percentage below national average: 25.4%
16. Omaha, Nebraska
Population: 488,837
2026 average rent: $1,447
Amount below national average: $484
Percentage below national average: 25.1%
18. Cincinnati
Population: 311,224
2026 average rent: $1,463
Amount below national average: $468
Percentage below national average: 24.2%
19. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Population: 562,218
2026 average rent: $1,469
Amount below national average: $462
Percentage below national average: 23.9%
20. El Paso, Texas
Population: 680,130
2026 average rent: $1,496
Amount below national average: $435
Percentage below national average: 22.5%
21. Arlington, Texas
Population: 397,742
2026 average rent: $1,542
Amount below national average: $389
Percentage below national average: 20.1%
22. Mesa, Arizona
Population: 511,764
2026 average rent: $1,548
Amount below national average: $383
Percentage below national average: 19.8%
24. Houston
Population: 2,328,253
2026 average rent: $1,557
Amount below national average: $374
Percentage below national average: 19.4%
25. Phoenix
Population: 1,642,323
2026 average rent: $1,562
Amount below national average: $369
Percentage below national average: 19.1%
26. Raleigh, North Carolina
Population: 481,031
2026 average rent: $1,571
Amount below national average: $360
Percentage below national average: 18.7%
27. Pittsburgh
Population: 304,759
2026 average rent: $1,583
Amount below national average: $348
Percentage below national average: 18%
28. Austin, Texas
Population: 979,539
2026 average rent: $1,583
Amount below national average: $348
Percentage below national average: 18%
29. Jacksonville, Florida
Population: 977,670
2026 average rent: $1,584
Amount below national average: $347
Percentage below national average: 18%
30. Fort Worth, Texas
Population: 963,194
2026 average rent: $1,611
Amount below national average: $320
Percentage below national average: 16.6%
31. Dallas
Population: 1,307,930
2026 average rent: $1,631
Amount below national average: $300
Percentage below national average: 15.5%
32. Minneapolis
Population: 427,246
2026 average rent: $1,669
Amount below national average: $262
Percentage below national average: 13.6%
33. New Orleans
Population: 371,853
2026 average rent: $1,674
Amount below national average: $257
Percentage below national average: 13.3%
34. Las Vegas
Population: 660,400
2026 average rent: $1,700
Amount below national average: $231
Percentage below national average: 12%
35. Colorado Springs, Colorado
Population: 487,887
2026 average rent: $1,703
Amount below national average: $228
Percentage below national average: 11.8%
36. Portland, Oregon
Population: 641,165
2026 average rent: $1,707
Amount below national average: $224
Percentage below national average: 11.6%
39. Charlotte, North Carolina
Population: 903,844
2026 average rent: $1,721
Amount below national average: $210
Percentage below national average: 10.9%
40. Aurora, Colorado
Population: 394,432
2026 average rent: $1,736
Amount below national average: $195
Percentage below national average: 10.1%
42. Baltimore
Population: 573,243
2026 average rent: $1,777
Amount below national average: $154
Percentage below national average: 8%
43. Philadelphia
Population: 1,579,706
2026 average rent: $1,787
Amount below national average: $144
Percentage below national average: 7.5%
44. Nashville, Tennessee
Population: 690,130
2026 average rent: $1,793
Amount below national average: $138
Percentage below national average: 7.2%
46. Denver
Population: 718,877
2026 average rent: $1,839
Amount below national average: $92
Percentage below national average: 4.7%
47. Atlanta
Population: 505,268
2026 average rent: $1,869
Amount below national average: $62
Percentage below national average: 3.2%
48. Orlando, Florida
Population: 319,758
2026 average rent: $1,886
Amount below national average: $45
Percentage below national average: 2.3%
49. Fresno, California
Population: 545,970
2026 average rent: $1,925
Amount below national average: $6
Percentage below national average: 0.3%
50. Stockton, California
Population: 322,326
2026 average rent: $1,928
Amount below national average: $3
Percentage below national average: 0.1%
Methodology: For this piece, MoneyLion used Zillow's May 2026 rental data to find all major cities where the 2026 average rent was below the national average of $1,931. To be considered a major city, the city had to have a total population above 250,000, as sourced from the 2024 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. All data is up to date and collected on July 6, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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