PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philadelphia ranks as the eighth most in-demand rental market in the country heading into the 2026 peak leasing season, according to a new Renter Engagement Tracker report from RentCafe.com analyzing apartment search activity across the 150 largest U.S. cities.
Although the city slipped three spots year over year, it remains firmly in the Top 10 nationally and ranks first in the Northeast region, ahead of Worcester, Massachusetts, which placed No. 20.
The report measures renter engagement based on page views, listings added to favorites, saved searches and availability rates, comparing the most recent quarter of 2025 with the same period in 2024.
In Philadelphia, page views rose 4% year over year. Listings added to favorites increased 33%, while saved searches climbed 3%, indicating sustained interest and more intentional browsing as renters prepare for the summer leasing season.
Much of that demand is local, with current Philadelphia residents exploring new housing options within the city. However, the report shows strong out-of-market engagement from New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C., reinforcing Philadelphia’s appeal as a lower-cost alternative within the Northeast corridor. Additional interest is coming from Atlanta, Los Angeles and Houston.
Nationally, Cincinnati ranked No. 1 overall after climbing 10 positions year over year. Page views there increased 3%, listings added to favorites rose 81% and saved searches jumped 14%. Atlanta ranked second, while Minneapolis placed third.
Washington, D.C., slipped to fourth position despite maintaining high saved-apartment activity, and Baltimore rounded out the Top 5 after rising 17 positions, driven by a 73% increase in page views and a 65% increase in favorited listings.
The Midwest dominated the early 2026 rankings, claiming 11 of the top 30 cities, including Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Cleveland and Kansas City. The South secured 10 spots, including Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Birmingham. Western cities accounted for seven entries, led by San Jose, which climbed 80 positions. The Northeast placed just two cities in the top 30: Philadelphia and Worcester.
El Paso, Texas, recorded the largest year-over-year surge, jumping 115 spots to No. 28 nationally.
For comparison within Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh ranked No. 117, falling 29 positions. Page views there declined 5% and listings added to favorites dropped 14%, though favorited listings increased 52%, suggesting more selective renter behavior.
RentCafe said its rankings are based on a city-level rental activity score derived from four metrics: availability rate, page views, favorites and saved searches. Availability rate carries the highest weight, followed by page views, favorites and saved searches. Scores reflect both current-quarter engagement and year-over-year change.
The data suggests that renter activity is building earlier than usual in several markets, signaling potential competition ahead of the traditional summer rush.
The full report is available at https://www.rentcafe.com/.
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