Overland Park Unseats Minneapolis as Most Popular Rental Market

Most apartment hunters looking to relocate to Overland Park are from Kansas City and Chicago.

Overland Park, Kansas, has topped the list of most popular rental markets for the second time this year, unseating Minneapolis, which has been the most popular market for renters nearly every month of 2024. The 50% year-over-year increase in page views for Overland Park listings on RentCafe.com helped the city climb to the top spot after occupying fourth place in last month’s report.

Most apartment hunters looking to relocate to the area are from Kansas City and Chicago, said RentCafe.com.

Minneapolis ranks second this month thanks to a high volume of online apartment searches and interactions. Listings in the city attracted 21% more traffic than a year ago, even though there were 20% fewer rentals to choose from on RentCafe.com.

Detroit rejoined the top 10 most in-demand cities for renters at third, propelled by a high volume of engagements for its listings. The number of page views for Detroit apartments doubled compared to this time last year and renters saved 21% more personalized searches. Detroit’s steady stream of revival projects could be adding to its appeal, the company said.

Washington, D.C., and Atlanta rounded out the top 5 markets, according to the online apartment marketplace.

Overall, Western markets are the most sought-after markets for renters, with 11 cities ranking in RentCafe.com’s rental activity report for July. Reno, Nevada, was the highest-ranking city in the West at No. 10. Most cities in the region that ranked in the top 30 are in California, including Ontario, Sacramento, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Long Beach and Fontana. Bakersfield stands out with a 58% increase in online traffic for its listings on RentCafe.com.

The South follows closely behind with 10 entries, while the Midwest secures eight spots in this month’s ranking.

Notably, busy Northeastern hubs are getting fewer online hits this summer, said RentCafe.com. In fact, Philadelphia is the only East Coast representative on the list. The city jumped three spots higher than last month with page views for Philly apartments rising by 21% compared to one year ago, while renters had 11% fewer listings to choose from.

This month, there are six new entries in the top 30 including Chandler, Arizona, at No. 22. Other newcomers to the list were Long Beach and Fontana, California; Columbus, Ohio; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.