The US cities with the most affordable rent in 2026

Bismarck, North Dakota, is the most affordable US city in 2026, per a WalletHub report. Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock While some markets are seeing cooling prices, rent in some areas continues to rise. WalletHub ranked 182 cities across the US by how affordable rents are relative to median income. Bismarck, North Dakota, ranked first, with 15% of the median income going toward rent. Not every city is built the same, and that's also true of rental markets. While some cities are seeing cooling r...