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Belong analyzed Census Bureau data to see which counties had the largest increase in renters from 2016 to 2021

30 counties seeing the greatest increase of renters

Belong analyzed Census Bureau data to see which counties had the largest increase in renters from 2016 to 2021.

The share of renter-occupied homes in the U.S. decreased by 2.3 percentage points from 2016 to 2021 as more Americans were able to buy houses. But certain communities are bucking that trend and seeing an influx of renters.

Belong analyzed Census Bureau data to see which counties had the largest increase in renters from 2016 to 2021, the most recent data available. The Census Bureau calculates the number of housing units in a county that renters occupy. Each county included in the analysis had at least 50,000 occupied housing units.

We ranked the top 30 counties by the percentage point increase in their rental population. The ranking also lists each county's median rent and median household income, which refers to the pay received by all members of the household. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing as costing no more than 30% of a household's income.

Many of the counties that recorded increases in the number of renters are suburbs or exurbs—which refers to prosperous areas beyond a city's immediate suburbs—as people look for more space, rents rise in major metro areas, and remote work becomes more popular.

- Share of homes that are rentals: 27.5% (+3.3 percentage points from 2016)
- Total rental units: 9,806
-- Median rent: $664
-- Median household income for renters: $33,395

Manitowoc County is southeast of Green Bay, along Wisconsin's Lake Michigan shoreline. The overall cost of living compared to Green Bay is similar, although Census Bureau data show median rent is about $100 cheaper in Manitowoc County.

- Share of homes that are rentals: 23.7% (+3.3 percentage points from 2016)
- Total rental units: 11,781
-- Median rent: $997
-- Median household income for renters: $50,798

Saline County sits southwest of Little Rock, the state's capital. The cost of living and median rent prices are similar in the county and the nearby city.

- Share of homes that are rentals: 29.8% (+3.3 percentage points from 2016)
- Total rental units: 8,135
-- Median rent: $872
-- Median household income for renters: $30,936

Marquette County is the most populous county in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, with 66,661 residents. The county, situated along Lake Superior, is home to Northern Michigan University. NMU's enrollment dropped from 2016 to 2021, however, so college students do not account for the overall increase in renters during that time.

- Share of homes that are rentals: 34.1% (+3.4 percentage points from 2016)
- Total rental units: 17,561
-- Median rent: $813
-- Median household income for renters: $25,842

Florence County is located about 100 miles east of Columbia, the state's capital. Median rent is about $200 more in Columbia compared to Florence County, and the overall cost of living is 6% higher.

- Share of homes that are rentals: 32.5% (+3.4 percentage points from 2016)
- Total rental units: 32,789
-- Median rent: $1,034
-- Median household income for renters: $43,541

Clay County is northeast of Kansas City, which straddles the Missouri-Kansas border. The cost of living is slightly lower in Clay County compared to the larger metro area, and median rent is about the same.

- Share of homes that are rentals: 34.0% (+3.5 percentage points from 2016)
- Total rental units: 26,136
-- Median rent: $1,081
-- Median household income for renters: $46,278

Located in south-central Washington, Benton County is about 200 miles east of both Seattle and Portland, Oregon. The cost of living in Benton County is about 15% lower than those larger metro areas, which may appeal to renters who want to live within a day-trip distance of those cities.

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- Share of homes that are rentals: 33.0% (+3.7 percentage points from 2016)
- Total rental units: 12,760
-- Median rent: $793
-- Median household income for renters: $35,195

Tuscarawas County sits in eastern Ohio, centered between Columbus, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The cost of living in Tuscarawas County is about 8% lower than in those metro areas.

- Share of homes that are rentals: 29.1% (+3.7 percentage points from 2016)
- Total rental units: 18,981
-- Median rent: $1,143
-- Median household income for renters: $44,258

Olmsted County is about 90 miles southeast of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. But there is not a significant difference in median rent or overall cost of living among the three areas.

- Share of homes that are rentals: 32.7% (+3.8 percentage points from 2016)
- Total rental units: 10,763
-- Median rent: $799
-- Median household income for renters: $37,278

Erie County hugs Lake Erie and sits about midway between Toledo and Cleveland. The county seat is Sandusky—known for the Cedar Point amusement park—and the area is known for its relatively low cost of living.

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