rent check

Dallas neighbor ranks as 2nd best U.S. city for renters, report says

Luxury apartments are on the rise in Plano.

Rendering courtesy of LVL 29

Plano continues to hit home runs for its highly sought-after livability. Now, it can add renting favorability to its growing list of achievements that outshine other Metroplex cities.

Plano was deemed the No. 2 best city for renters in a new report by online apartment rental marketplace RentCafe, out of a total 136 American cities. The suburb's total population is just over 282,000 people, with the average renter's income at $73,930 a year. Last year, Plano landed at No. 13 in the same survey.

A Plano renter's average apartment size is around 939 square feet, which is the biggest space out of all Texas cities, the report says. Luxury apartments make up a surprising 78 percent of all units in the suburb. By comparison, in Dallas, luxury units make up fewer than half of all apartments (49 percent).

"Having recently started to make a name for itself as the 'City of Excellence,' Plano lands second on our list," the report says. "Plano’s reputation for producing great academic achievers make it an ideal spot for families looking for a city with excellent public schools, in addition to its great air quality and significant share of high-end apartments."

Plano was also praised for its local economy, after jobs rose 6 percent year-over-year from 2022 and 58 percent of the city's population has at least one college degree.

"Because the city is also home to a variety of headquarters for large companies — such as Bank of America, Hewlett Packard, FedEX, JCPenney and Pepsi — it also has one of the highest job growth rates nationwide," the report says.

Denton (No. 19) was the only other Dallas-Fort Worth suburb to make it into the top 20 best cities for renters. The average renter's income in the college town is $39,690 a year, coinciding with an average apartment size of 882 square feet.

Dallas, on the other hand, fell short of the top 30 and landed in No. 32, while Fort Worth followed closely behind at No. 37. Both cities have similar average annual renter incomes ($47,349 in Dallas versus $45,824 in Fort Worth) and have similar average apartment sizes (849 square feet versus 874 square feet).

Here's how other Texas cities stacked up in RentCafe's report:

No. 41 – Odessa
No. 43 – Lubbock
No. 53 – Houston
No. 55 – San Antonio
No. 90 – Corpus Christi
No. 91 – Waco
No. 120 – El Paso

RentCafe used data from their sister site Yardi Matrix to determine each city's ranking among three major categories: cost of living and housing, the local economy, and quality of life. Cities were chosen if they had an "apartment stock" of a minimum of 10,000 units, and any cities with lower apartment stocks were excluded.

Overall, the top 10 was dominated by Texas cities. The North Austin suburb of Round Rock ranked No. 6, while Austin proper ranked No. 7, and Conroe earned No. 9.

Filling in the gaps in the top 10 are Charleston, South Carolina (No. 1); Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 3); Atlanta, Georgia (No. 4); Raleigh, North Carolina (No. 5); Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 8); and Arlington, Virginia (No. 10).

The full report and its methodology can be found on rentcafe.com.

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hottest zips

Surprising Dallas neighbor ranks among hottest ZIP codes in U.S.

City of Lavon/Facebook

Movers are loving Lavon for its small-town feel and proximity to the big city.

A recent analysis of American relocation trends has revealed the small city of Lavon outside Dallas was one of the top five hottest ZIP code for movers nationwide in October 2025.

Lavon's 75166 ZIP code ranked No. 5 on MovingPlace's new list ranking the U.S. cities with the highest number of new movers per 1,000 current residents during the month of October.

According to the study's data, 961,650 moves took place across the nation last month. Lavon (population: 13,800) saw 10.8 moves per 1,000 residents in October, the fifth highest moving rate out of all U.S. cities.

Lavon is located 32 miles northeast of Dallas in Collin County. It was praised as a highly sought-after locale for movers who want to live somewhere affordable outside Dallas while still reaping the benefits from a community with a small-town feel.

The report also added that Lavon's 75166 ZIP was the No. 1 hottest ZIP code in September, but relocations dipped 7.7 percent from September to October.

"When looking at the top ZIP codes in each state, it’s clear that less populated ZIP codes often show dramatic month-over-month increases, sometimes exceeding 100 percent," the report said. "Larger cities, by contrast, maintain consistently high move volumes without extreme spikes, because their larger populations dampen the impact of individual moves."

These are the top 10 hottest U.S. ZIP codes based on moves per capita in October:

No. 1 – 78616 in Dale, Texas
No. 2 – 34987 in Port Saint Lucie, Florida
No. 3 – 37228 in Nashville, Tennessee
No. 4 – 80019 in Aurora, Colorado
No. 5 – 75166 in Lavon, Texas
No. 6 – 32461 in Inlet Beach, Florida
No. 7 – 10004 in New York, New York
No. 8 – 43137 in Lockbourne, Ohio
No. 9 – 30346 in Atlanta, Georgia
No. 10 – 78656 in Maxwell, Texas

The hottest U.S. ZIP codes by total move volume
Five Texas ZIPs ranked among MovingPlace's separate analysis of the top 10 hottest U.S. ZIP codes based on total move volume.

McKinney's ever-popular 75071 ZIP code ranked No. 5 on the list after gaining 298 new residents last month, only 72 residents shy from No. 1-ranking Washington, D.C.'s new resident count.

This North Dallas suburb also previously ranked as the No. 8 most popular ZIP for movers during the first five months of 2025.

The report said McKinney's most attractive qualities are its safety, its high-performing schools, and its proximity to outdoor recreational activities. it also helps that the suburb consistently ranks as the No. 1 hottest housing market in America, and it frequently tops lists comparing the best cities for renters or the most affordable cities in the U.S.

The top 10 hottest American ZIP codes in October based on total move volume were:

No. 1 – 20002 in Washington, D.C.
No. 2 – 78130 in New Braunfels, Texas
No. 3 – 78641 in Leander, Texas
No. 4 – 77433 in Cypress, Texas
No. 5 – 75071 in McKinney, Texas
No. 6 –32256 in Jacksonville, Florida
No. 7 –77493 in Katy, Texas
No. 8 – 85142 in Queen Creek, Arizona
No. 9 – 98052 in Redmond, Washington
No. 10 – 28269 in Charlotte, North Carolina

suburb real estate housing market moving mckinney dallas