The cost of renting is anything but uniform – shaped by geography, neighborhood trends, and even the quirks of a few city blocks. What’s affordable in one part of town might be out of reach just a short walk away.
This map via Visual Capitalist, created by NeoMam Studios for CashNetUSA, visualizes the most affordable ZIP codes to rent across America.
NeoMam Studios compared the average household incomes and annual rent costs in each ZIP code using U.S. Census data and Zillow’s Observed Rent Index (ZORI). ZIP codes were ranked by affordability, the most affordable being the ZIP codes with the lowest rental costs as a percentage of local incomes.
Figures below 30% of gross income were considered as the standard affordable rent outlay defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Which ZIP Codes Are the Most Affordable?
Below, we show each state’s most affordable ZIP code, the ZIP code’s location, and its average annual rent (from ZORI) as a share of local median household income.
| State | ZIP Code | Location | Annual Rent as % of Local Median Household Income | Avg. Rent Cost (ZORI, $) | Median Household Income ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 66224 | Leawood | 10.57% | $1,850.00 | $143,093 |
| Michigan | 48324 | West Bloomfield | 11.50% | $3,069.76 | $203,000 |
| Texas | 78248 | San Antonio | 12.29% | $2,231.67 | $138,220 |
| Pennsylvania | 15228 | Pittsburgh | 12.57% | $1,960.28 | $128,333 |
| Iowa | 50323 | Urbandale | 12.77% | $1,734.63 | $145,774 |
| South Dakota | 57005 | Brandon | 13.51% | $2,648.78 | $185,093 |
| Ohio | 43035 | Lewis Center | 13.71% | $2,048.33 | $132,573 |
| Illinois | 60304 | Oak Park | 13.92% | $1,259.17 | $122,986 |
| North Dakota | 58554 | Mandan | 14.23% | $1,021.94 | $76,612 |
| Indiana | 46077 | Zionsville | 14.28% | $1,255.50 | $131,002 |
| Minnesota | 55906 | Rochester | 14.57% | $1,561.98 | $125,060 |
| Missouri | 63141 | Creve Coeur | 14.93% | $2,104.16 | $152,326 |
| Tennessee | 38024 | Dyersburg | 14.95% | $1,475.98 | $127,195 |
| Alabama | 35213 | Mountain Brook | 14.99% | $1,570.11 | $137,408 |
| Arkansas | 72223 | Little Rock | 15.19% | $1,217.72 | $116,278 |
| Arizona | 85253 | Paradise Valley | 15.27% | $969.22 | $71,601 |
| Nebraska | 68130 | Omaha | 15.29% | $1,540.35 | $109,405 |
| Louisiana | 70605 | Lake Charles | 15.38% | $1,043.45 | $81,404 |
| New York | 11731 | East Northport | 15.51% | $2,025.78 | $138,261 |
| Wyoming | 82716 | Gillette | 16.01% | $1,816.65 | $111,410 |
| Wisconsin | 54956 | Neenah | 16.24% | $2,033.56 | $159,846 |
| Georgia | 30005 | Alpharetta | 16.58% | $1,929.44 | $98,459 |
| Kentucky | 40059 | Prospect | 16.72% | $2,716.04 | $170,000 |
| North Carolina | 27613 | Raleigh | 16.90% | $1,940.98 | $83,946 |
| New Jersey | 7090 | Westfield | 17.17% | $1,387.50 | $55,402 |
| Mississippi | 38801 | Tupelo | 17.25% | $2,040.67 | $137,097 |
| Oklahoma | 73142 | Oklahoma City | 17.28% | $1,750.91 | $116,756 |
| Maryland | 21043 | Ellicott City | 17.58% | $1,397.75 | $112,328 |
| West Virginia | 26062 | Weirton | 17.80% | $2,563.01 | $163,333 |
| Virginia | 23113 | Midlothian | 17.86% | $2,041.67 | $103,934 |
| South Carolina | 29708 | Fort Mill | 18.00% | $623.89 | $50,064 |
| California | 94062 | Emerald Lake Hills | 18.15% | $916.67 | $59,482 |
| Florida | 33556 | Odessa | 18.33% | $1,935.56 | $124,449 |
| Utah | 84025 | Farmington | 18.49% | $2,243.88 | $161,079 |
| Montana | 59501 | Havre | 18.49% | $1,489.03 | $116,849 |
| Connecticut | 6410 | Cheshire | 18.54% | $810.56 | $56,393 |
| Oregon | 97221 | Portland | 18.66% | $1,425.00 | $55,511 |
| Colorado | 80108 | Castle Pines | 18.83% | $1,170.83 | $96,403 |
| Washington | 98040 | Mercer Island | 19.17% | $1,204.58 | $83,648 |
| Massachusetts | 1720 | Acton | 19.37% | $2,050.00 | $117,408 |
| Nevada | 89511 | Reno | 19.57% | $1,950.00 | $100,751 |
| Idaho | 83221 | Blackfoot | 19.95% | $1,234.43 | $97,530 |
| New Mexico | 87544 | Los Alamos | 20.95% | $1,662.43 | $107,901 |
| Alaska | 99517 | Anchorage | 22.12% | $1,062.50 | $63,897 |
| New Hampshire | 3045 | Goffstown | 23.23% | $1,113.33 | $98,902 |
| Delaware | 19810 | Wilmington | 23.52% | $1,522.56 | $172,829 |
| Rhode Island | 2865 | Lincoln | 23.57% | $791.67 | $53,360 |
| Hawaii | 96822 | Honolulu | 27.75% | $1,584.86 | $85,964 |
| Maine | 4210 | Auburn | 30.05% | $1,731.25 | $162,705 |
| Vermont | 5701 | Rutland | 30.80% | $917.50 | $77,356 |
The average rent in Leawood 66224, Kansas, costs 10.57% of the local average income—the most affordable rent level of any U.S. ZIP code.
The 66224 ZIP code is right at the border of Kansas and Missouri, and just a couple of ZIP codes south of Leawood 66211, home to Kansas’ priciest residential real estate.
Midland, Texas, has the highest proportion of affordable housing against local incomes, with 97.5% of rentals available below 30% of the local average income.
Several ZIP codes within major metropolitan areas ranked as the most affordable in their states, including Portland (97221) in Oregon and Pittsburgh (15228) in Pennsylvania.
Over on the West Coast, Los Angeles doesn’t have a single ZIP code where the average home is affordable to rent, according to the 30% rule.
To learn more about housing affordability in the U.S., check out this graphic that visualizes median house prices in the U.S.
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