Tampa 10th Best City for Renters, Study Finds

TAMPA, FL — Tampa is one of the Top 10 best cities in the country for renters. That’s the conclusion the folks at WalletHub came to after crunching data related to the nation’s 150 biggest cities.

WalletHub dove into 15 different metrics to arrive at its findings. The study was conducted in honor of July typically being the peak of moving season.

The rental atmosphere was targeted specifically by WalletHub, a website dedicated to personal finance, because of the growing trend toward renting instead of buying. The share of renter households nationwide increased in 2015 to more than 36 percent, according to WalletHub spokeswoman Diana Popa. That number is the highest since the 1960s.

Popa said WalletHub’s researchers honed in on such factors as rental vacancy rate, cost of living, safety and the number of paid relocation jobs, among other factors. When all was said and done Tampa took 10th place honors. While the city came in 64th in the “rental market and affordability rank,” it scored first in the “quality of life” ranking to boost it high on the list.

No other Florida cities made the Top 10 list. Scottsdale, Ariz., came in first place followed by Overland Park, Kan. Chandler, Tempe and Gilbert – all in Arizona – came in third, fourth and fifth places, respectively.

While Tampa was the only city in the top half of the list, several other Florida destinations ranked well. Orlando came in 16th overall. St. Petersburg earned 37th-place rankings.

To check out the full report, visit WalletHub online.

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