Denver is the fastest growing city for roommate searches
May 2024 - Denver (CO), is the fastest growing city for roommate searches, according to new data from the number 1 roommate finder, SpareRoom.
SpareRoom analyzed over 15 million roommate searches over a two year period* to see which key US cities saw the biggest growth in roommate searches, as well as which proved most popular. Each city was given an annual ranking from most searched to least and these were compared to show which had increased (or decreased) most in popularity.
The top 5 most searched for cities remained unchanged for the duration of the two years, with NYC topping the list. However, Denver saw the biggest increase in search popularity, climbing 23 places in the overall ranking, followed by Portland (+22), and Sacramento (+21).
Cities with the largest search increases
| City | Ranking change over 2 years (2021 vs 2023) |
|---|---|
| 1. Denver, CO | +23 |
| 2. Portland, OR | +22 |
| 3. Sacramento, CA | +21 |
| 4. Orlando, FL | +15 |
| 5. Washington, D.C | +13 |
The cities that saw the largest search decreases were Long Beach (-11), followed by San Antonio (-10), with Houston and Fort Lauderdale tying for third place (-6).
Cities with the largest search decreases
| City | Ranking change over 2 years (2021 vs 2023) |
|---|---|
| 1. Long Beach, CA | -11 |
| 2. San Antonio, TX | -10 |
| 3. Houston, TX | -6 |
| 4. Fort Lauderdale, FL | -6 |
| 5. Baltimore, MD | -5 |
Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom spokesperson comments:
“Rents have hit all-time highs in most major metro areas over the past year, and renters are feeling the financial squeeze, so it’s no wonder people are looking for cheaper options.
With an average monthly roommate rent of $1,066, Denver, CO, comes in significantly cheaper than cities like New York, LA, San Francisco or Boston. Portland, OR, Sacramento, CA, and Orlando, FL, all come in under the $1,000 per month mark, making them significantly cheaper options for renters. In fact, renters choosing Portland over the most expensive US city (NYC) could save as much as $7,400 over the course of the year.”
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Notes to editors
*SpareRoom analyzed 15,090,507 roommate searches carried out during the calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023 and ranked them from most searched for to least for 2023. Their 2023 ranking was then compared to their ranking in 2021 to find the 2 year change.↩