This NJ city was named one of the worst in the country for renters

Renting in New Jersey is expensive. According to Zillow, the median rent for all bedrooms and types is $2,500 a month. But you hope you get enough for your money with a good local economy and a relatively good quality of life.

The people at Rent Café looked at 20 metrics to determine the best cities for renters in the US.

These include apartment quality; local economy; traffic; air quality and natural amenities; and more. They were then grouped into three categories: cost of living and housing; local economy; and quality of life.

Out of the 140 cities included, one from New Jersey finished second to last: Newark.

Some of the categories that hurt Newark include cost of living and housing, where Newark ranked 130th, average apartment size (701 sq. feet), a high occupancy rate (96.5%), and a low share of high-end apartments (7.8%).

The only city in the country that’s worse for renters is Detroit. Brooklyn and Manhattan are the third and fourth worst places for renters, while Queens is eighth.

Southern cities dominate the list of best cities for renters, with Charleston, SC ranking 1st. That’s followed by Plano, TX, Scottsdale, AZ, Atlanta, GA, Raleigh, NC, Round Rock, TX, Austin, TX, Charlotte, NC, Conroe, TX, and Arlington, VA rounds out the top ten.

According to Zillow, the median rent in New Jersey has risen by $200 in the past 12 months. It’s also interesting to note that New Jersey’s median rent is $400 a month higher than the national average.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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