Overview of Findings
Apartment List has released College Park's results from the first annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. The survey, which drew on responses from over 18,000 renters, provides new insights into what states and cities must do to meet the needs of the 105 million American renters nationwide.
"College Park renters are slightly less satisfied with their city than the national average, showing a lack of confidence in the local economy," says Andrew Tam, Vice President of Data Science at Apartment List. "The US renter population is at its highest level in 20 years, and while College Park renters report high satisfaction with important amenities such as local schools, our data shows that confidence in the local economy correlates with overall satisfaction."
Key findings in College Park include the following:
- College Park renters give their city a C+ grade for overall satisfaction, which ranks 62nd out of 100 cities.
- College Park's lowest grade was a D for the local economy, with only 16% of renters saying they believe it is on the right track.
- 64% of respondents in College Park say they plan to purchase a home in the future - this grades out at a B, roughly average with the nation.
- College Park's top grade was an A+ for taxes, with 63% of respondents saying they are satisfied with state and local taxes -- we found this surprising, given Maryland is in the upper quartile for state income tax rates.
- The city scored slightly below average for safety and crime rate, earning a B- with only 54% of respondents expressing satisfaciton.
- Three Maryland cities were ranked in our study: Silver Spring (A-), College Park (C+) and Baltimore (D).
- The top rated cities nationwide for city satisfaction were Plano, TX; Boston, MA; Arlington, VA; Austin, TX; and Torrance, CA. The lowest rated cities were Newark, NJ; New Haven, CT; Bridgeport, CT; Hartford, CT; and Columbia, SC.
A detailed report explaining the survey's methodology, analysis, and findings is available upon request. To obtain a copy, please email Andrew Tam, Apartment List's Vice President of Data Science, at andrew@apartmentlist.com.
