Overview of Findings
Apartment List has released Philadelphia’s results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters nationwide, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of the country’s 111 million renters.
"Philadelphia renters expressed satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "However, there seems to be a discrepancy between renters who are parents, who are unsatisfied (F), and millennial renters (C)."
Key Findings in Philadelphia Include the Following:
- Philadelphia renters gave their city a C+ overall.
- The highest-rated categories for Philadelphia were public transit and recreational activities, which received A+ and A- grades, respectively.
- The areas of concern for Philadelphia renters are quality of local schools (F), state and local taxes (D) and safety and low crime rate (also D.)
- Renters who are parents are more dissatisfied with their city (F), while millennial renters were more satisfied (C).
- Philadelphia did relatively poorly compared to other cities in Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh (B+) and Allentown (B-).
- Philadelphia ranked comparably to other similar cities nationwide, including Los Angeles (C+), New York (C+) and Miami (C+).
- The top rated cities nationwide for renter satisfaction include Scottsdale, AZ, Irvine, CA, Boulder, CO and Ann Arbor, MI. The lowest rated cities include Tallahassee, FL, Stockton, CA, Dayton, OH, Detroit, MI and Newark, NJ.
Renters Say:
- "There’s always something to do" – David C.
- "There’s never a dull moment and there are so many options for activities. But it sometimes feels unsafe due to crime." – Jessica R.
- "Love the four seasons" – Anon.
- "I love the museums, but the crime is very bad" – Josephine N.
- "Love the culture, museums and creativity" – Nina M.
For more information on the survey methodology and findings or to speak to one of our researchers, please contact our team at rentonomics@apartmentlist.com.
