Austin ranked in the top 10 of the nearly 140 U.S. cities analyzed for their appeal to renters with children, according to a new study by the apartment-search website RentCafe.com.
The city came in seventh overall in the ranking. Austin was also ranked 12th for its economic health and 15th for quality of life. The report also labeled Austin a hub for creative culture, a haven for live music performances and a place boasting a low cost of living. In addition, renters outnumber homeowners in Austin.
The RentCafe analysis looked at 25 metrics among cities that have an apartment stock of 10,000 units or more. The metrics include air quality, the availability of family-sized apartments and school quality.
Finishing first in the ranking was another Texas city, Plano, followed by Scottsdale, Ariz., and Arlington, Va.
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Best Places for Renters to Raise a Family
| Overall Ranking | City | Quality of Life Rank | Apartments in Top Locations | Average School Quality | Annual Delay per Car Commuter (h) | Natural Amenity Rank | Share of Days With Good Air Quality | Child School Enrollment | Renter Married Couples With children | Unemployment Rate |
| 1 | Plano, TX | 4 | 69% | 6 | 40 | 4 | 80% | 91% | 34% | 4% |
| 2 | Scottsdale, AZ | 2 | 83% | 7 | 25 | 6 | 20% | 89% | 20% | 4% |
| 3 | Arlington, VA | 3 | 85% | 5 | 42 | 2 | 93% | 92% | 31% | 3% |
| 4 | Marietta, GA | 13 | 30% | 6 | 37 | 3 | 89% | 90% | 38% | 4% |
| 5 | Sunnyvale, CA | 1 | 68% | 6 | 31 | 6 | 73% | 91% | 49% | 4% |
| 6 | Round Rock, TX | 9 | 48% | 6 | 41 | 4 | 66% | 89% | 29% | 4% |
| 7 | Austin, TX | 15 | 45% | 5 | 41 | 5 | 66% | 90% | 36% | 5% |
| 8 | Fayetteville, AR | 32 | 0% | 6 | 14 | 4 | 95% | 89% | 33% | 6% |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | 24 | 51% | 4 | 17 | 4 | 83% | 89% | 28% | 5% |
| 10 | Ann Arbor, MI | 14 | 6% | 7 | 10 | 3 | 82% | 92% | 24% | 4% |
| 11 | Tallahassee, FL | 42 | 7% | 5 | 15 | 4 | 75% | 93% | 31% | 7% |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | 33 | 44% | 4 | 37 | 3 | 70% | 91% | 26% | 6% |
| 13 | Alexandria, VA | 17 | 63% | 4 | 42 | 2 | 100% | 86% | 50% | 3% |
| 14 | Greenville, SC | 58 | 7% | 5 | 16 | 4 | 71% | 91% | 23% | 3% |
| 15 | Charleston, SC | 63 | 16% | 4 | 26 | 4 | 83% | 91% | 22% | 3% |
| 16 | Stamford, CT | 7 | 79% | 4 | 40 | 4 | 71% | 94% | 35% | 6% |
| 17 | San Francisco, CA | 5 | 54% | 5 | 46 | 7 | 88% | 93% | 40% | 5% |
| 18 | Sarasota, FL | 19 | 24% | 6 | 12 | 6 | 77% | 87% | 53% | 3% |
| 19 | Virginia Beach, VA | 22 | 11% | 6 | 22 | 4 | 95% | 91% | 28% | 4% |
| 20 | Conroe, TX | 28 | 30% | 5 | 21 | 4 | 65% | 89% | 24% | 4% |
| 21 | Orlando, FL | 29 | 26% | 4 | 22 | 5 | 85% | 90% | 52% | 6% |
| 22 | Miami, FL | 18 | 15% | 6 | 27 | 6 | 87% | 91% | 63% | 6% |
| 23 | San Diego, CA | 6 | 48% | 6 | 24 | 7 | 55% | 90% | 45% | 6% |
| 24 | Charlotte, NC | 50 | 24% | 4 | 24 | 4 | 75% | 89% | 30% | 5% |
| 25 | Westminster, CO | 16 | 54% | 4 | 26 | 5 | 53% | 93% | 19% | 4% |
| 26 | San Jose, CA | 10 | 42% | 5 | 31 | 6 | 73% | 92% | 38% | 5% |
| 27 | Asheville, NC | 34 | 1% | 5 | 19 | 4 | 93% | 90% | 42% | 4% |
| 28 | Seattle, WA | 11 | 38% | 5 | 31 | 5 | 83% | 93% | 24% | 4% |
| 29 | Jacksonville, FL | 37 | 36% | 4 | 21 | 4 | 70% | 88% | 33% | 5% |
| 30 | Lafayette, LA | 47 | 22% | 5 | 13 | 2 | 76% | 91% | 27% | 6% |
| 31 | Tampa, FL | 45 | 26% | 4 | 18 | 5 | 66% | 91% | 33% | 6% |
| 32 | Durham, NC | 64 | 26% | 4 | 18 | 3 | 92% | 88% | 26% | 5% |
| 33 | Denton, TX | 59 | 9% | 5 | 21 | 4 | 60% | 87% | 30% | 5% |
| 34 | Reno, NV | 30 | 13% | 5 | 11 | 6 | 71% | 87% | 37% | 5% |
| 35 | Dallas, TX | 31 | 25% | 5 | 40 | 4 | 64% | 89% | 44% | 5% |
| 36 | Wilmington, NC | 74 | 5% | 5 | 13 | 4 | 93% | 89% | 28% | 5% |
| 37 | Denver, CO | 44 | 26% | 4 | 26 | 5 | 54% | 89% | 31% | 5% |
| 38 | Colorado Springs, CO | 20 | 38% | 5 | 29 | 6 | 62% | 89% | 28% | 6% |
| 39 | Knoxville, TN | 72 | 17% | 5 | 23 | 4 | 72% | 86% | 35% | 5% |
| 40 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 43 | 25% | 4 | 27 | 6 | 78% | 92% | 34% | 7% |
| 41 | Little Rock, AR | 70 | 34% | 4 | 33 | 4 | 70% | 88% | 22% | 5% |
| 42 | Boise, ID | 46 | 12% | 5 | 18 | 4 | 81% | 89% | 20% | 4% |
| 43 | Bloomington, IN | 40 | 0% | 6 | 6 | 4 | 92% | 89% | 26% | 7% |
| 44 | Huntsville, AL | 76 | 6% | 5 | 14 | 3 | 74% | 90% | 23% | 5% |
| 45 | Gainesville, FL | 102 | 5% | 4 | 11 | 5 | 91% | 83% | 32% | 5% |
| 46 | Lexington, KY | 49 | 10% | 5 | 13 | 2 | 85% | 90% | 29% | 5% |
| 47 | Norman, OK | 61 | 4% | 5 | 25 | 4 | 65% | 88% | 28% | 5% |
| 48 | Houston, TX | 69 | 32% | 4 | 49 | 3 | 30% | 89% | 46% | 7% |
| 49 | Fargo, ND | 38 | 4% | 6 | 8 | 1 | 93% | 86% | 27% | 4% |
| 50 | Madison, WI | 67 | 14% | 4 | 28 | 3 | 84% | 90% | 25% | 3% |
Source: RentCafe.com
