Renting in Dallas
Renters in this North Texas city are happier than anywhere else in the country
Rent might be high in Dallas, but Plano renters are pretty damn happy. In fact, those renting in the northern suburb reported some of the highest levels of satisfaction on Apartment List's first-ever Renter Confidence Survey.
Apartment List surveyed more than 18,000 renters across the country to garner "new insights into what states and cities must do to meet the needs of the 105 million American renters nationwide."
Respondents rated their satisfaction on eight key factors: city satisfaction, confidence in the local economy, safety and crime rate, access to recreational activities, quality of schools, state and local taxes, satisfaction with daily commutes, and plans for homeownership.
Plano earned an A+ — and ranked first nationally — for overall city satisfaction. It also took top honors for local economy, a fact that's not surprising given all the big-name companies, like Toyota and Liberty Mutual, that are moving to Plano. The city also earned an A+ for safety, recreation, schools and local taxes. Happiness with the daily commute slipped a tiny bit, earning a B+.
The scores are so good, it seems most Plano renters are content to stay where they are: Only 56 percent reported they are planning on buying a home in the near future, slightly lower than the national average of 60 percent.
Several other Texas cities fared well on the survey. Austin also received an A+ for city satisfaction, coming in at No. 4 overall. It was followed by Irving (No. 11), Fort Worth (No. 19), Arlington (No. 25) and San Antonio (No. 30).
Dallas and Houston, however, didn't do so hot. Their city satisfaction rankings were No. 75 and No. 83, respectively.
