Michigan may not crack the top 50 in RentCafe.com’s 2025 Best Cities for Renters Report, but it leads the Midwest in representation, with five cities making the national list of 150. While the South dominates the top half of the list — claiming 41 of the top 50 spots — no other Midwestern state offers a more complete picture of today’s renter experience than Michigan.
The report ranks cities based on 20 metrics across three key areas: Quality of Life, Housing & Cost of Living, and Local Economy — offering a well-rounded view of where renters are finding the best experiences.
From college towns with top-tier education to places with lower costs of living, Michigan’s featured cities reflect just how much renting can vary, even within one state.
Here’s how they compare:
Ann Arbor | #11 in the Midwest
Top rank: Quality of Life (#24 nationwide)
Ann Arbor stands out for its top-rated schools and strong public infrastructure. With 18% of residents commuting via walking or public transit, it offers a more connected, urban rental experience.
Lowest rank: Housing & Cost of Living (#116 nationwide)
Finding a place here isn’t easy: the rental market is tight, with over 95% occupancy and only a 10.1% increase in new apartments over the past year.
Grand Rapids |#13 in the Midwest
Top rank: Local Economy (#52 nationwide)
Renter incomes in Grand Rapids have soared nearly 44% in the past five years, helping to offset rising costs and pointing to a steady economic potential for renters.
Lowest rank: Housing & Cost of Living (#115 nationwide)
Even with the highest new construction rate in the state (12.5%), the apartment market remains tight with nearly 96% of rentals already occupied. Plus, the average apartment offers a modest 883 square feet.
Lansing | #26 in the Midwest
Top rank: Quality of Life (#107 nationwide)
Lansing offers relatively short commutes (only 19% of residents travel by car more than 30 minutes), but just 5.5% of residents use public transportation or walking.
Lowest rank: Local Economy (#142 nationwide)
The city has an unemployment rate of 8.1%, and renter incomes have grown more slowly than elsewhere in the state (up just 33.1% over the past five years).
Detroit | #27 in the Midwest
Top rank: Housing & Cost of Living (#118 nationwide)
With 50.3% of its population renting, Detroit has one of the highest renter shares in the Midwest. Apartments here average 780 square feet — among the smallest in the region — and the cost of living is 3.2% above the national average.
Lowest rank: Local Economy (#150 nationwide)
The Motor City ranks last nationwide in this category. The unemployment rate is 14.1%, the share of college-educated adults is just 11%, and job growth has been stagnant (rising only 0.7% over the past year).
If you’d like more localized data, visuals, or insight into these metrics, I’d be happy to help.
In the meantime, explore the full table to see how all 150 cities stack up across every metric, perfect for side-by-side comparisons of the places you’re most interested in:
https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/best-cities-for-renters/
