The 10 best and 10 worst cities for renters

Four of the 10 best cities for renters were in Arizona. Jeremy Poland/Getty Images The buy vs. rent pendulum is always swinging, but some cities cater better to those already set on renting.WalletHub analyzed 182 markets based on two factors: rental market & affordability, and quality of life. Every city was graded on a 100-point scale using 21 metrics, like the share of renters and the job market.The Midwest and Sun Belt have been duking it out for the title of best region to live in in recent years, but one Sun Belt state west of the Mississippi River made the biggest splash on WalletHub's list: Arizona.On the whole, the state of Arizona hasn't been a popular choice, but for renters, it checks some important boxes. Chandler, Gilbert, and Scottsdale, Arizona, all finished in the top five in quality-of-life rankings, with Scottsdale ranking first.US News & World Report ranked Arizona 17th in employment, and according to WalletHub, a majority of renters in all three cities spend less than 22% of their income on rent.As for the cities on the opposite end of the spectrum, unsurprisingly, they ranked low in rental market & affordability, and quality of life, with rankings not exceeding 123rd for either category.Read below to see which cities are good for renters, and which ones aren't. Worst cities for renters The 10 worst cities for renters. Posnov/Getty Images 10. Shreveport, LA Shreveport, Louisiana. Sean Pavone/Getty Images Total score: 38.08Rental market & affordability rank: 123Quality of life rank: 179 9. Huntington, WV Huntington, West Virginia. Posnov/Getty Images Total score: 38.02Rental market & affordability rank: 143Quality of life rank: 172 8. Augusta, GA Short-term rental prices in Augusta, Georgia, surge during Master's week. Kruck20/Getty Images Total score: 38.00Rental market & affordability rank: 136Quality of life rank: 180 7. New Orleans, LA New Orleans. Larry Gibson/Getty Images Total score: 36.51Rental market & affordability rank: 154Quality of life rank: 162 6. Newark, NJ Newark, New Jersey. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images Total score: 36.08Rental market & affordability rank: 149Quality of life rank: 169 5. Akron, OH Akron, Ohio. RudyBalasko/Getty Images Total score: 34.38Rental market & affordability rank: 170Quality of life rank: 167 4. Memphis, TN Memphis. John Coletti/Getty Images Total score: 32.97Rental market & affordability rank: 114Quality of life rank: 182 3. Jackson, MS Jackson, Mississippi. SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images Total score: 32.79Rental market & affordability rank: 181Quality of life rank: 146 2. Cleveland, OH Cleveland. Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images Total score: 32.02Rental market & affordability rank: 174Quality of life rank: 178 1. Detroit, MI Detroit. halbergman/Getty Images Total score: 29.95Rental market & affordability rank: 160Quality of life rank: 181 Best cities for renters The 10 best cities for renters. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images 10. Amarillo, TX Amarillo, Texas. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images Total score: 60.18Rental market & affordability rank: 20Quality of life rank: 34 9. Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls, South Dakota. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images Total score: 62.33Rental market & affordability rank: 1Quality of life rank: 108 8. Huntsville, AL Huntsville, Alabama. Sean Pavone/Getty Images Total score: 63.10Rental market & affordability rank: 4Quality of life rank: 38 7. Bismarck, ND Bismarck, North Dakota. halbergman/Getty Images Total score: 63.60Rental market & affordability rank: 3Quality of life rank: 55 6. Peoria, AZ Peoria, Arizona. MattGush/Getty Images Total score: 65.25Rental market & affordability rank: 22Quality of life rank: 2 5. Columbia, MD Columbia, Maryland. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images Total score: 65.80Rental market & affordability rank: 2Quality of life rank: 39 4. Overland Park, KS Overland Park, Kansas. Dee Liu/Getty Images Total score: 66.94Rental market & affordability rank: 9Quality of life rank: 4 3. Chandler, AZ Chandler, Arizona. MattGush/Getty Images Total score: 67.20Rental market & affordability rank: 11Quality of life rank: 5 2. Gilbert, AZ Gilbert, Arizona. MattGush/Getty Images Total score: 67.63Rental market & affordability rank: 6Quality of life rank: 9 1. Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale, Arizona. Jeremy Poland/Getty Images Total score: 69.05Rental market & affordability rank: 24Quality of life rank: 1 Read next Jordan reports on moving trends — from remote work to house hacking. He also writes about movers struggling with issues around relocating like buyer's remorse and the many intricacies of moving to an unfamiliar state. He also has stories focusing on property technology and in 2022, moderated a panel on fractional investing at real estate technology conference Blueprint. Before Insider, he covered luxury real estate in South Florida for The Real Deal. He holds a Master's degree in Magazine Writing from New York University and a Bachelor's degree in English from Florida State University. Cities Arizona