Plano, Conroe among best apartment cities

Apartment life is good in Texas.

Four of the 10 best rental cities in the country are in the Lone Star State, according to RentCafe. Plano earned the No. 2 spot on its ranking, behind Charleston, South Carolina.

North Austin suburb Round Rock was named the sixth-best rental market, followed by Austin at No. 7. Conroe, a lake town about 40 miles north of Houston, ranked ninth on the list. College town Denton was the only other Texas city to crack the top 20, ranking 19th.

RentCafe analyzed rental markets in 140 cities, weighing metrics such as apartment quality, local economy, traffic, air quality and natural amenities. The data was then grouped into three broader categories: cost of living and housing; local economy; and quality of life.

Plano had the second-best local economy and sixth-best quality of life, according to the data. Apartments in the Collin County suburb north of Dallas have an occupancy rate just shy of 95 percent, and it boasts a 78.2 percent share of high-end apartments and 62 percent lease renewal rate. 

Round Rock and Austin scored high in the cost of living and housing category, ranking second and 10th, respectively. Both cities’ occupancy rate hovered around 95 percent, and they finished in the top 20 in terms of local economy. Round Rock had a greater share of high-end apartments at 75 percent, compared to Austin’s 65 percent. However, Austin had a slightly greater share of new apartments.

Conroe, meanwhile, ranked No. 1 in cost of living and housing. Its occupancy rate was just under 94 percent, and it had a significant share of high-end apartments at 72 percent. 

Denton, about 40 miles north of Dallas and Fort Worth, ranked seventh for cost of living and housing. It had a strong occupancy rate of 94.3 percent and a lease renewal rate of 62 percent.

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