Multifamily

The days of renting in the city and buying in the suburbs may have come to an end. According to a recent study from national apartment locator service RentCafé, in 19 of America’s 20 largest metros, the suburbs are attracting more renters than urban neighborhoods. Between 2011 and 2015, several metros — New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia — experienced greater overall population growth in urban neighborhoods than in suburban ones. However, only Philadelphia saw a greater year-over-year percentage increase in the growth of renter households inside the city limits as opposed to outside of them The difference in renter households that flocked to the suburbs over the city during that period was most pronounced in Riverside, Calif., which saw an additional 42,700 households move to the suburbs. Riverside was followed by Atlanta (37,200 households), Miami (29,800 households) and Chicago (20,600 households). Cheaper rent remains the primary incentive behind the trend. Of the 20 metros surveyed, only St. Louis posted a higher average rent in its suburban areas than its urban neighborhoods. The differences in average rent between the suburbs and the city were smallest in Dallas, Phoenix, Houston and Denver. The average amount of rent saved by moving to …