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Here's where you can get the most (and least) apartment space for $1,500 a month

By Kelly Hayes
Updated  August 5, 2024 6:38am MST
Real Estate
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Renters looking for the most space on a budget should head to the U.S. South or Midwest, where many large cities in both regions offer more apartment square footage for a monthly rent of $1,500.

While places like Manhattan offer a mere 228 square feet for a monthly rent budget of $1,500, renters will find a generous 1,359 square feet of living space in Wichita, Kansas, for the same price, according to a new report from the apartment search website RentCafe.com.

Manhattan offers a mere 228 square feet for a monthly rent budget of $1,500, while a generous 1,359 square feet of living space is offered in Wichita, Kansas, for the same price, according to the report from RentCafe.com. (Credit: RentCafe.com report

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Nationwide, renters get an average of 729 square feet of space for a monthly rent of $1,500, the report states – which ranked 200 U.S. cities using apartment data from the real estate data firm Yardi Matrix.

FILE - Apartment buildings in Portland, Maine, photographed on Sept. 8, 2023. (Staff photo by Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

Where to get the most apartment space for $1,500 a month

Wichita, Kansas, and Toledo, Ohio, appear to be the best bets at finding a more spacious apartment for less monthly rent. 

  1. Wichita was ranked No. 1 at 1,359 square feet of living space for $1,500 rent.
  2. Toledo came in second by offering 1,345 square feet for $1,500 – which is enough for three or even four bedrooms, according to the report.
  3. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, ranked third at 1,302 square feet.
  4. Tulsa, Oklahoma came in fourth at 1,277 square feet, the report states.
  5. The fifth U.S. city was Memphis, Tennessee, offering 1,257 square feet for $1,500 monthly rent, according to the report. "This is typically the equivalent of a three-bedroom apartment, which is perfect for renters with families or couples looking for more space and comfort," RentCafe’s report said of Memphis’ offering.

Other large U.S. cities offering more than 1,000 square feet for $1,500 monthly rent include Indianapolis, Indiana, Greensboro, North Carolina, Kansas City, Missouri, Columbus, Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri, the report said. 

Texas also stood out with three cities toward the top of RentCafe’s list: Lubbock, El Paso and Corpus Christi.

Where to get the least apartment space for $1,500 a month

Renters in California and many big cities along the East Coast will find the least space for a monthly rent budget of $1,500, according to the report.

  1. Manhattan topped the list of places where $1,500 gets you the least space, with just 228 square feet.
  2. Next was Brooklyn, another New York City borough, which offers an average of 300 square feet for the same monthly budget. That’s the equivalent of a really tight studio, according to RentCafe’s report.
  3. Boston was ranked third from the bottom, offering just 315 square feet of space for $1,500 a month.
  4. San Francisco came in at No. 97, with just 334 square feet on average for the same monthly rent.
  5. Jersey City, New Jersey, rounded out the top five cities offering the fewest square feet within that same budget, with only 340 square feet of space, according to the report.

Across the country on the West Coast, the report said that 32 out of the top 50 cities with the least apartment space are in California.

Elsewhere, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Miami were also named among the major cities offering the least apartment space for $1,500 per month. Of the four, Miami offers the most floor space for that budget at 533 square feet, according to the report.

Click here for RentCafe's full report.

This story was reported from Cincinnati.