McKinney secured the top position in RentCafe’s 2026 ranking of the best cities for renters, maintaining its lead for a second straight year. The Dallas suburb placed ahead of Huntsville, Texas; Austin, Texas; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Atlanta.
The study evaluated 150 cities using data from June 2026. Researchers analyzed 20 metrics covering housing costs, local economic conditions, and quality of life indicators. The data was sourced from Yardi Matrix and various government records.
Southern markets dominated the list, capturing 37 of the top 50 spots. Texas, Florida, and North Carolina had the highest representation among these states. The West held the second-largest share of top-ranked locations.
In McKinney, renter household incomes rose 35.9 percent compared to 2019 levels. The city ranked third nationally for both cost of living and housing affordability. It also placed ninth for quality of life. New apartment construction made up 33.4 percent of the local rental inventory, with high-end units accounting for 84.5 percent.
Huntsville climbed three spots to take second place overall. The city ranked second in housing costs and sixth in economic strength. Renter incomes there grew 60.4 percent since 2019. The local economy is supported by aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Austin moved up one position to third place. It ranked fourth for its economy and eighth for housing costs. Wilmington finished fourth, while Atlanta completed the top five with the second-best economic ranking in the study.
Raleigh placed sixth, followed by Scottsdale, Round Rock, Sarasota, and Greenville. Seven of the top ten cities are located in the South. Scottsdale was the highest-ranked Western market. Sioux Falls led the Midwest, and Albany topped the Northeast.
