Real Estate Duel
U.S. Housing & Rent Higher or Lower
Think you know U.S. real estate? Guess which American city has higher median rent and home values based on Census ACS official housing data.
Salt Lake City
Median Home Value
Albuquerque
Median Home Value
How to play
Compare median 1BR and 2BR monthly rents and home values across American metropolitan areas. Based on the anchor city's official Census ACS figure, guess whether the challenger metro is HIGHER or LOWER.
The true geography of American housing costs
Housing is the single largest household expense in the United States, consuming between 25% and 45% of median income depending on the metro area. While coastal giants like Manhattan and San Francisco command headline-grabbing median rents exceeding $3,500/month, rapid growth hubs in the Sunbelt have seen massive shifts in affordability ratios.
This quiz challenges your perspective on where housing dollars stretch furthest and how density, zoning laws, and inbound migration impact neighborhood values.
Coastal rent plateaus vs Sunbelt growth premiums
The geography of American residential rent has experienced historic realignment over the past decade. While established coastal metropolises (New York, Boston, San Francisco) retain high baseline rental floors driven by geographic constraints and historic housing stock, Sunbelt hubs like Austin, Miami, Nashville, and Tampa experienced rapid price acceleration followed by supply-driven corrections.
Comparing median contract rents across these diverse metros reveals how remote work policies, state tax structures, and local apartment completion rates continually redefine regional affordability.
Census ACS 5-Year median rent and home value methodology
All benchmarks in this duel are sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. Unlike listing portals that reflect asking rents on vacant luxury units, Census data measures contract rent paid across the entire occupied housing stock.
This statistical foundation filters out transient listing volatility and seasonal advertising anomalies, providing a dependable, standardized baseline for macroeconomic and relocation comparisons.
Top U.S. Metros: Median Rent & Property Value Benchmarks
Official contract rents and median home values from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates. Rents reflect median 2-bedroom residential units.
| Metropolitan Area | Median 2BR Rent | Median Home Value | Housing Cost Burden | Explore Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (Manhattan), NY | $4,450 / mo | $1,180,000 | Severe Burden (38%) | View Manhattan ZIPs |
| San Francisco, CA | $3,620 / mo | $1,295,000 | Severe Burden (36%) | View San Francisco ZIPs |
| Boston, MA | $3,250 / mo | $740,000 | High Burden (32%) | View Boston ZIPs |
| Miami Beach, FL | $2,680 / mo | $585,000 | Severe Burden (39%) | View Miami Beach ZIPs |
| Seattle, WA | $2,150 / mo | $845,000 | Moderate Burden (28%) | View Seattle ZIPs |
| Denver, CO | $1,920 / mo | $585,000 | Moderate Burden (27%) | View Denver ZIPs |
| Austin, TX | $1,720 / mo | $540,000 | Moderate Burden (26%) | View Austin ZIPs |
| Atlanta, GA | $1,780 / mo | $395,000 | Moderate Burden (27%) | View Atlanta ZIPs |
| Chicago, IL | $1,680 / mo | $340,000 | Moderate Burden (26%) | View Chicago ZIPs |
| Cleveland, OH | $980 / mo | $195,000 | Affordable (21%) | View Cleveland ZIPs |
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