In some big cities, it may be nearly impossible to live alone on a $2,000 housing budget, while in others you can afford up to three bedrooms.
The national average rent for a studio apartment listed on Apartments.com in October was $1,699 per month, and the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $1,887 per month, according to data collected and analyzed by Apartments.com in its November report.
Of the 25 most populous U.S. cities, New York, Boston, and the California cities of San Francisco, San Diego, and San Jose were the most expensive. The average rent for a studio apartment in those cities was more than $2,000 as of October, according to Apartments.com data shared with CNBC Make It.
For $2,000, you can get an average of 267 square feet in New York City, or one-third the size of a pickleball court, according to standardized estimates from October listings. Compare this to Oklahoma City, which is the most affordable of the most populous cities. In Oklahoma City, $2,000 equals about 1,900 square feet (more than two pickleball courts).
While this data provides a useful benchmark for comparisons between cities, it does not necessarily indicate the size of a single apartment that renters may encounter. In reality, renters should keep in mind that apartment sizes and prices can vary within the same city due to a variety of factors, the report authors said.
Of America’s 25 most populous cities, here are the places with the least space for $2,000 rent.
New York, NY: 267 sq ft Boston, MA: 336 sq ft San Francisco, CA: 340 sq ft San Diego, CA: 458 sq ft San Jose, CA: 427 sq ft
Here are the 25 most populous cities in America where you can get the most space for $2,000 in rent.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: 1,900 square feet El Paso, Texas: 1,762 square feet Indianapolis, Indiana: 1,676 square feet Columbus, Ohio: 1,633 square feet San Antonio, Texas: 1,517 square feet
Here’s how much space you get for $2,000 a month in all 25 of the most populous U.S. cities, as of October.
New York, New York
Los Angeles, California
Chicago, Illinois
houston texas
Phoenix, Arizona.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
San Antonio, Texas
San Diego, California
dallas, texas
Jacksonville, Florida
Fort Worth, Texas
San Jose, California
Austin, Texas
charlotte, north carolina
columbus ohio
Indianapolis, Indiana
San Francisco, California
Seattle, Washington.
Denver, Colorado.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Nashville, Tennessee.
Washington DC
El Paso, Texas
Las Vegas, Nevada
boston, massachusetts

