2 Ohio cities among Top 5 worst places to rent in US, report says

Finding affordable housing is becoming an increasingly difficult proposition in the United States due to rising mortgage costs and a nationwide lack of housing inventory.

Renting a place to live, therefore, is often the only choice for those who are unable to afford the costs of purchasing and owning a home. Not all rental markets are created equally, however.

In fact, two Ohio cities are among the worst places to rent in the U.S., one report says.

Cleveland, Ohio, is the second-worst city and Akron is the fifth-worst city to rent in the U.S., according to a report from WalletHub.

The report, “Best and Worst Places to Rent in America,” compared 182 U.S. cities across two categories: Rental market & affordability, such as share of renters, rental vacancy rate, rental affordability, rent-to-price ratio and more; and quality of life, such as weather, safety, job market, recreation-friendliness, and more

Overall, Cleveland ranks 181st amongst 182 cities, while Akron ranks 178th.

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By category, Cleveland ranks 166th in rental market & affordability and 178th in quality of life. Akron ranks 159th in rental market & affordability and 169th in quality of life, according to the report.

By rent-to-price ratio, specifically, Cleveland ranks tied for second-worst with Detroit, Michigan, at No. 181 overall. Akron, meanwhile, ranks as fifth-worst at No. 178 overall.

Aside from 181st-ranking Cleveland and 178th-ranking Akron, the only two other Ohio cities included in the rankings are Cincinnati at 128th and Columbus at 129th, according to the report.

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The 10 worst places to rent in the U.S., according to WalletHub, are:

1. Detroit, MI

2. Cleveland, OH

3. Memphis, TN

4. Jackson, MS

5. Akron, OH

6. Chattanooga, TN

7. New Orleans, LA

8. Huntington, WV

9. Shreveport, LA

10. Hialeah, FL

In contrast, the 10 best places to rent in the U.S., according to WalletHub, are:

1. Overland Park, KS

2. Scottsdale, AZ

3. Bismarck, ND

4. Sioux Falls, SD

5. Chandler, AZ

6. Fargo, ND

7. Plano, TX

8. Lincoln, NE

9. Irvine, CA

10. Nashua, NH

WalletHub’s full report ranking the best and worst cities to rent in the U.S. can be found online.