Overview of Findings
Apartment List has released Cleveland’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.
"Cleveland renters expressed general dissatisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "Some categories received above average scores, and many received average scores."
Key Findings in Cleveland include the following:
- Cleveland renters gave their city a C overall.
- The highest-rated categories for Cleveland were affordability (A-) and public transit (A).
- The areas of concern to Cleveland renters are quality of local schools (C), jobs and career opportunities (C), weather (C) and safety and low crime (D).
- Cleveland millennials are moderately satisfied with their city, giving it an overall rating of C+.
- Cleveland did relatively poorly compared to other Rust Belt cities like Milwaukee (B-) and Pittsburgh (B+), but earned higher marks than Detroit (F), Dayton (F) and Buffalo (F).
- Cleveland earned similar scores compared to other cities nationwide, including Aurora, Sacramento and Albuquerque, which also received C scores.
- 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:
- "Cleveland is on the rise. The community is close and no one is happier than Cleveland when the sun comes out." -Julie O.
- "I love that Cleveland is growing and becoming much more exciting and popular. It’s extremely affordable and there’s so much going on in the city." -Sarah B.
- "I do not like the weather here, but I do like that I feel safe." -Michelle P.
- "Cleveland has great restaurants and bars, but not much in the way of economic growth or career opportunities yet." -Laura D.
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.
