best roommate cities overall
(but which are best for you?)
These lists are about living with roommates in different cities.
If you could imagine living with roommates in different cities that are best but different ways . . . you shouldn't have to live in all before figuring from afar which are best for YOU.
If you already know what you want more or less, maybe you should adapt?
We know not everyone can be flexible, some careers or bosses can't allow it. But for others, jobs with geographic range as well as the ability to work from home (or wherever) are increasingly popular, even after the height of the pandemic.
Or if you're lucky enough to range wherever you want, like hello scholarship?!?
Maybe you'll assemble your dream team of roommates in your dream city! Then collectively appreciate local stuff!
Some do exactly that. And good luck!
| lowest traditional roommate rents in the US | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Wichita |
| 2. | Jackson |
| 3. | Fargo |
| 4. | Little Rock |
| 5. | Sioux Falls |
| 6. | Cheyenne |
| 7. | Oklahoma City |
| 8. | Baton Rouge |
| 9. | Memphis |
| 10. | Tulsa |
("traditional roommate rent" explained here)
| highest traditional roommate rents in the US | |
|---|---|
| 1. | NYC - Manhattan |
| 2. | NYC - Brooklyn |
| 3. | San Francisco |
| 4. | Miami |
| 5. | Boston |
| 6. | Los Angeles |
| 7. | NYC - Queens |
| 8. | Honolulu |
| 9. | San Diego |
| 10. | San Jose |
("traditional roommate rent" explained here)
| commutable to nearby larger city, but CHEAPER | |
|---|---|
| Athens | Baltimore |
| Boulder | Grand Rapids |
| Manchester | Worcester |
| Newark | Providence |
| New Haven or Bridgeport | Staten Island |
| New Brunswick | NYC - Bronx |
| NYC - Queens | Columbia |
| Tacoma | San Antonio |
| Sacramento | |
(and in no particular order, it's all)
| most pet friendly cities for renters | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Richmond |
| 2. | Madison |
| 3. | Columbus |
| 4. | Minneapolis |
| 5. | Kansas City |
| 6. | Omaha |
| 7. | Des Moines |
| 8. | Denver |
| 9. | Portland (Oregon) |
(according to zumper.com)
| most walkable cities | |
|---|---|
| 1. | San Francisco |
| 2. | NYC |
| 3. | Boston |
| 4. | Vancouver |
| 5. | Chicago |
| 6. | Washington D.C. |
| 7. | Miami |
| 8. | Newark |
| 9. | Philadelphia |
| 10. | Seattle |
(ratings from walkscore.com)
| most transit friendly cities | |
|---|---|
| 1. | NYC |
| 2. | Toronto |
| 3. | San Francisco |
| 4. | Vancouver |
| 5. | Boston |
| 6. | Washington D.C. |
| 7. | Montreal |
| 8. | Philadelphia |
| 9. | Chicago |
| 10. | Newark |
| 10. | Seattle |
(ratings from walkscore.com)
| most bikeable cities | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Minneapolis |
| 2. | Portland (Oregon) |
| 3. | Vancouver |
| 4. | Montreal |
| 5. | San Francisco |
| 6. | Chicago |
| 7. | Denver |
| 8. | Washington D.C. |
| 9. | Boston |
| 10. | NYC |
(ratings from walkscore.com)
| temperate climates ... | |
|---|---|
| Salem or Eugene | Boise |
| Tacoma | Portland (Oregon) |
| Seattle | Sacramento |
| Santa Fe | Orange County |
| San Jose | Los Angeles |
| San Francisco | Honolulu |
(and in no particular order, it's all)
| few traffic jams | |
|---|---|
| Buffalo | Columbus |
| Bangor | Burlington |
| Little Rock | Columbia |
| Knoxville | Fargo |
| Des Moines | Cheyenne |
| Oklahoma City | College Station |
| Albuquerque | Anchorage |
(and in no particular order, it's all)
| stunning views | |
|---|---|
| Baltimore | Baton Rouge |
| Boise | Tacoma |
| Seattle | Albuquerque |
| Austin | Boulder |
| San Francisco | Anchorage |
| Honolulu | Vancouver |
| Denver | Halifax |
| Edmonton | |
(and in no particular order, it's all)
| best restaurants | |
|---|---|
| NYC - Manhattan | Atlanta |
| Chicago | Dallas |
| Houston | Los Angeles |
| Madison | New Orleans |
(and in no particular order, it's all)
| best parks | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Washington D.C. |
| 2. | Minneapolis or St. Paul |
| 3. | Cincinnati |
| 4. | San Francisco |
| 5. | Seattle |
| 6. | Portland |
| 7. | NYC |
| 8. | Boston |
| 9. | Chicago |
(ratings from Trust for Public Land's Parkscore)
| best off leash dog parks or dog areas ... | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Boise |
| 2. | Portland (Oregon) |
| 3. | Norfolk |
| 4. | San Francisco |
| 5. | Sacramento |
| 6. | Tampa |
| 7. | Madison |
| 8. | Las Vegas |
| 9. | Anchorage |
| 10. | Washington D.C. |
(ratings from Trust for Public Land's City Park Facts)
| best trail mileage with finished surfaces ... | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Washington D.C. |
| 2. | Omaha |
| 3. | Tampa |
| 4. | Anchorage |
| 5. | Denver |
| 6. | Minneapolis or St. Paul |
| 7. | Colorado Springs |
| 8. | Baton Rouge |
| 9. | Albuquerue |
| 10. | Cleveland |
(ratings from Trust for Public Land's City Park Facts)
| best ranked orchestras | |
|---|---|
| 1. | New York Philharmonic |
| 2. | Boston Symphony Orchestra |
| 3. | Chicago Symphony Orchestra |
| 4. | Philadelphia Orchestra |
| 5. | Los Angeles Philharmonic |
| 6. | San Francisco Symphony |
| 7. | Atlanta Symphony Orchestra |
| 8. | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra |
| 9. | Houston Symphony |
| 10. | Baltimore Symphony Orchestra |
| 11. | National Symphony Orchestra (D.C.) |
| 12. | Minnesota (Minneapolis) Orchestra |
| 13. | St. Louis Symphony Orchestra |
| 14. | Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (NYC) |
| 15. | Cleveland Orchestra |
(according to many)
| most allergenic pollen | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Wichita |
| 2. | Dallas |
| 3. | Oklahoma City |
| 4. | Tulsa |
| 5. | Orlando |
| 6. | Des Moines |
(ratings from the report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Most Challenging Places to Live with Pollen Allergies)
| least allergenic in terms of pollen | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Buffalo |
| 2. | Seattle |
| 3. | Cleveland |
| 4. | Austin |
| 5. | Washington D.C. |
| 6. | Detroit |
| 7. | Albuquerque |
| 8. | Columbus |
| 9. | Salt Lake City |
(ratings from the report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Best Cities to Live to Avoid Pollen)