RentCafe.com analyzed the 139 largest markets in the U.S. where data was available and ranked them based on five key metrics when it comes to rental competitiveness. These metrics were:
- the number of days apartments stayed vacant
- the percentage of rentals that were occupied
- the number of prospective renters competing for an apartment
- the percentage of renters who renewed their leases
- the share of apartments completed this year
They then used these metrics to calculate a Rental Competitivity Index (RCI) to see how competitive the U.S. rental market was this year.
Here are how the major city/regions ranked in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia:
| Market | 2023 Score | Vacant Days | Occupancy: | Prospective Renters | Renewal Rate | % Of New Apts |
| Asheville, NC | 110 | 30 | 95.50% | 12 | 65.50% | 1.30% |
| Fayetteville, NC | 89 | 30 | 94.20% | 9 | 66.00% | 1.71% |
| Columbus, GA | 74 | 32 | 94.00% | 8 | 62.70% | 2.30% |
| Savannah, GA | 69 | 35 | 94.20% | 11 | 58.50% | 2.57% |
| Greenville, NC | 63 | 37 | 93.90% | 6 | 62.20% | 1.38% |
| Greenville, SC | 60 | 35 | 93.30% | 9 | 59.90% | 3.28% |
| The Triangle, NC | 58 | 34 | 93.60% | 8 | 60.70% | 3.80% |
| Columbia, SC | 56 | 36 | 93.00% | 11 | 55.20% | 0.72% |
| Charlotte, NC | 54 | 36 | 93.20% | 9 | 60.50% | 4.19% |
| Macon, GA | 50 | 41 | 92.90% | 9 | 62.10% | 1.68% |
| Suburban Atlanta, GA | 49 | 44 | 92.70% | 8 | 64.40% | 2.88% |
| Athens, GA | 49 | 38 | 92.50% | 8 | 63.60% | 5.16% |
| Charleston, SC | 42 | 37 | 92.80% | 9 | 57.00% | 5.15% |
| Augusta, GA | 39 | 40 | 91.30% | 7 | 63.40% | 5.51% |
| Wilmington, NC | 37 | 37 | 92.30% | 7 | 60.60% | 3.54% |
| Atlanta, GA | 35 | 41 | 91.90% | 9 | 59.30% | 2.07% |
| Piedmont-Triad, NC | 33 | 42 | 92.00% | 8 | 60.30% | 2.86% |
Multifamily Market News 