Philadelphia apartment renters are most likely to relocate to Allentown over other cities in the state, according to a national survey released today by Apartment List.
Allentown’s job market and its more affordable housing and quality of life are likely factors, according to the survey.
While rent in Philadelphia is more affordable than similar cities across the country, its median rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,160, compared to $1,100 in Allentown, according to a separate study by Apartment List, an online apartment rental marketplace.
Nationwide, rents have grown by 2.9 percent over the past year.
To better understand trends in renter mobility, Apartment List studied data from its annual survey of 24,000 renters to determine where renters are most likely to relocate to outside and within a state.
Outside Pennsylvania, Philadelphia apartment renters are most likely to relocate to Washington, D.C., the survey said.
“Renters are traditionally more mobile than homeowners, with the majority of renters indicating plans to settle down in a city other than where they currently live,” the company said.
“Renters frequently move to new cities and metros in search of better jobs, more affordable homes and lifestyle changes,” it said.
Highlights from the survey include:
• Most of the renters said they plan to settle down in a different city than where they currently reside (64 percent).
• Better job opportunities was cited as the primary reason renters relocate (34 percent).
• Affordability was cited as the second most common reason renters move (30 percent).
• Renters in coastal and inland metros with rapidly rising rents cite affordability as their primary reason for relocating, while renters in the Rust Belt and South Atlantic move for better job opportunities.
• Renters in the South are more likely to want to settle down where they currently reside but expressed concerns about job opportunities.
• Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Atlanta are the most popular destinations for renters looking to move to a new state.
