Like many cities, Allentown, Pa., has experienced a slow but seismic shift in its housing market in recent decades. New apartment complexes keep popping up while developers convert vacant industrial facilities into rental housing. Meanwhile, construction of single-family homes has ground to a near halt. Since 2000, the city’s renter population has grown by 46 percent, while the number of residents in owner-occupied units has declined 12 percent.

The city, now majority-renter, epitomizes what’s occurred elsewhere as a greater proportion of Americans opt to forgo -- or at least delay -- homeownership. This carries numerous ramifications for localities, from renters’ different demands for services to the way they interact with government. While small upticks in renting rarely provoke major consequences, long-term shifts can reshape cities in a number of ways.

Governing reviewed Census data covering the period since 2000 for all cities with at least 100,000 residents. We found a median increase in the renter population of 31 percent. Many of the jurisdictions with the steepest increases were in rapidly developing areas in Arizona, Florida and Texas. Over the same period, the number in owner-occupied dwellings also rose, but only by a median of 7 percent.

The rental influx hasn’t only been confined to booming areas. Fifty-three cities, including distressed ones like Allentown, added more than 10,000 renters and lost homeowners. Philadelphia provides one of the starkest examples. Its owner-occupied population dropped by about 100,000 since the start of the century, while the city’s large cohort of young adults and supply of new apartments has increased the renter population by 30 percent. Similar shifts have taken place in Akron, Ohio; Glendale, Ariz.; and Memphis, Tenn. Of all the cities losing owner-occupied units, all but eight still added renters. In several New Jersey cities just outside New York, about 7 out of 10 residents rent, and their numbers are climbing.

A confluence of several factors is behind renting’s steady ascent. Among them are young Americans delaying home purchases; steep prices that remain out of reach for many; and an expansion of the rental housing market. In Allentown, a large supply of affordable rental units is attracting low-income families, including thousands of evacuees from Puerto Rico. At the same time, a mix of millennials and empty nesters with higher incomes is moving into newer units.

Renters require a different set of resources than homeowners. Allentown employs 15 dedicated staff to inspect each unit once every five years and respond to multiple disruptive conduct reports daily. They often encounter absentee landlords from New Jersey and New York who purchased homes as investment properties. “With so many transients coming in and out of these properties, it doesn’t maintain a stable neighborhood,” says Leonard Lightner, the city’s director of community and economic development.

An analysis of New York City 311 call data published in the journal Urban Affairs Review found that, when other variables are controlled for, neighborhoods with more renters had higher rates of graffiti and noise complaints. Homeowners, meanwhile, requested slightly more “government goods,” such as street repairs and waste collection.

Renters and homeowners tend to hold different expectations for public services.

Renters in most cities generally view their service delivery less favorably than do homeowners, according to the National Research Center Inc., which conducts citizen satisfaction surveys.

It’s possible for a substantial shift toward renting to impact a city’s finances as well. Renters generally do not add to the tax base as much as homeowners, although this can depend on how taxes are structured. An Urban Institute analysis found renters were more likely to struggle in paying for basic needs. Renters in dense areas are also less likely to own cars than residents of single-family homes.

A large body of research has further linked homeownership with civic participation. Some of this has to do with residential tenure, as homeowners remain in neighborhoods longer and have a chance to put down deeper roots. But research from Georgetown University sociologist Brian McCabe finds that even after accounting for residential stability, homeowners are 1.62 times more likely to vote in local elections than renters, and are more likely to join civic and neighborhood groups. “A lot of voting is about having a sense of belonging,” he says. “Homeowners identify more with a place.”

This doesn’t all mean that a shift to renting is bad for cities. The National League of Cities’ James Brooks says they must engage renters differently than homeowners. He recommends, for example, that city programs reach out to renters in the neighborhoods where they live, rather than requiring them to come to city hall. “Places are stable and safe because they’re engaged and the neighbors know one another,” Brooks says. “They collaborate together and look out for one another, whether they own or rent.”

Housing Trends in Your City

City 2000-17 Rent Change (%) 2000-17 Rent Change 2000-17 Owner-Occupied Change (%) 2000-17 Owner-Occupied Change Enterprise, Nevada 1217% 59,679 862% 81,652 Lehigh Acres, Florida 1054% 49,539 121% 34,189 Surprise, Arizona 827% 31,773 248% 66,638 Frisco, Texas 634% 27,597 324% 94,039 Murrieta, California 360% 27,570 103% 37,757 Gilbert, Arizona 341% 48,838 76% 73,029 Elk Grove, California 300% 33,986 147% 71,483 Pearland, Texas 266% 15,814 190% 59,910 McKinney, Texas 259% 35,184 194% 75,806 The Woodlands, Texas 235% 18,871 73% 34,763 Miramar, Florida 216% 26,427 62% 37,175 Spring Hill, Florida 199% 18,805 29% 16,763 North Las Vegas, Nevada 193% 69,229 62% 48,916 Temecula, California 184% 24,720 65% 28,522 Peoria, Arizona 184% 27,953 27% 25,065 Port St. Lucie, Florida 179% 29,845 84% 60,006 Highlands Ranch, Colorado 175% 11,399 36% 23,000 Brandon, Florida 172% 31,078 3% 1,800 Cape Coral, Florida 163% 34,780 46% 36,678 Irvine, California 155% 75,729 43% 37,597 West Jordan, Utah 151% 15,370 49% 28,165 Victorville, California 143% 32,545 51% 20,885 Spring Valley, Nevada 135% 60,354 24% 17,511 Thornton, Colorado 134% 21,139 44% 28,805 Henderson, Nevada 122% 56,928 40% 51,284 Round Rock, Texas 121% 21,349 82% 34,567 Cary, North Carolina 114% 23,777 57% 41,637 Chandler, Arizona 109% 46,661 17% 22,101 Roseville, California 103% 21,654 50% 28,913 Fayetteville, North Carolina 103% 52,933 41% 26,771 Murfreesboro, Tennessee 100% 27,354 81% 30,089 Moreno Valley, California 98% 40,122 21% 20,950 Santa Clarita, California 93% 32,632 22% 24,858 Fontana, California 92% 34,725 49% 44,123 Rancho Cucamonga, California 91% 29,920 19% 17,055 Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 90% 12,584 31% 18,776 Aurora, Illinois 90% 32,586 24% 25,012 Lewisville, Texas 82% 24,256 4% 1,757 Palm Bay, Florida 81% 15,077 22% 13,095 Plano, Texas 80% 43,589 10% 15,949 Sterling Heights, Michigan 79% 14,189 -6% -6,426 Naperville, Illinois 78% 12,903 4% 4,456 Antioch, California 78% 19,343 -1% -348 Charlotte, North Carolina 77% 158,342 39% 125,203 Killeen, Texas 77% 32,020 49% 21,804 Bakersfield, California 75% 67,215 37% 57,585 Pembroke Pines, Florida 75% 19,152 10% 10,764 Warren, Michigan 74% 17,475 -18% -20,588 Palmdale, California 74% 23,948 20% 16,712 West Valley City, Utah 73% 18,245 10% 8,659 Pompano Beach, Florida 71% 20,817 16% 7,166 Raleigh, North Carolina 69% 80,430 63% 89,670 Sunrise Manor, Nevada 68% 38,613 0% 407 Clovis, California 67% 16,035 46% 20,192 Orlando, Florida 66% 67,679 22% 17,276 Gainesville, Florida 65% 26,738 8% 3,215 Wilmington, North Carolina 64% 22,464 42% 15,637 Aurora, Colorado 64% 58,978 12% 22,254 Lancaster, California 64% 26,459 21% 14,887 Las Vegas, Nevada 62% 112,334 10% 30,335 Clarksville, Tennessee 62% 24,512 34% 20,536 Overland Park, Kansas 62% 21,827 14% 15,780 Laredo, Texas 59% 33,407 38% 44,917 West Palm Beach, Florida 57% 20,233 14% 5,735 Visalia, California 56% 19,365 35% 19,311 Denton, Texas 56% 21,133 75% 26,440 McAllen, Texas 56% 19,454 20% 13,948 Carlsbad, California 56% 13,361 42% 22,093 Hillsboro, Oregon 55% 16,200 40% 15,886 Olathe, Kansas 55% 11,584 42% 29,883 Mesa, Arizona 55% 66,928 6% 15,433 Rochester, Minnesota 55% 10,277 27% 17,370 Glendale, Arizona 55% 37,428 -10% -15,354 Fort Worth, Texas 54% 113,959 59% 184,401 Joliet, Illinois 53% 13,736 40% 29,968 Midland, Texas 53% 14,100 32% 21,665 Mesquite, Texas 52% 19,610 0% -42 Santa Maria, California 52% 19,586 25% 9,166 Bellevue, Washington 52% 19,018 14% 10,185 Columbia, Missouri 51% 18,345 37% 14,910 Richardson, Texas 51% 14,808 7% 4,311 Pueblo, Colorado 51% 16,185 -14% -9,589 Chula Vista, California 51% 35,840 52% 53,458 Odessa, Texas 51% 13,336 19% 11,731 Phoenix, Arizona 51% 240,092 2% 17,910 Elgin, Illinois 49% 12,132 10% 6,660 Fort Collins, Colorado 48% 20,609 26% 18,085 High Point, North Carolina 48% 15,504 14% 7,053 Fargo, North Dakota 47% 18,226 17% 8,078 Tallahassee, Florida 47% 33,435 6% 4,262 Simi Valley, California 47% 10,863 5% 4,161 Corona, California 47% 17,267 24% 21,336 Austin, Texas 46% 143,994 36% 115,930 Allentown, Pennsylvania 46% 20,348 -12% -7,043 Jacksonville, Florida 45% 109,799 4% 17,734 Grand Prairie, Texas 44% 19,538 51% 42,056 Kent, Washington 43% 16,329 72% 29,383 Norman, Oklahoma 43% 14,708 13% 6,994 Tempe, Arizona 43% 29,942 -18% -15,070 North Charleston, South Carolina 43% 16,955 32% 11,366 Oxnard, California 43% 30,188 7% 7,067 Tampa, Florida 43% 52,128 6% 9,589 Carrollton, Texas 42% 14,711 10% 7,246 Lubbock, Texas 42% 32,002 11% 13,090 Paradise, Nevada 42% 39,091 7% 6,662 Scottsdale, Arizona 42% 22,253 10% 14,267 Sioux Falls, South Dakota 42% 15,986 36% 29,540 Colorado Springs, Colorado 42% 51,130 17% 38,266 Riverside, California 42% 40,073 14% 21,653 San Antonio, Texas 42% 175,120 20% 142,501 Lafayette, Louisiana 41% 15,738 1% 559 Des Moines, Iowa 41% 23,577 -5% -6,231 Coral Springs, Florida 41% 15,026 -3% -2,094 Chesapeake, Virginia 40% 18,053 11% 15,924 Thousand Oaks, California 39% 10,302 2% 1,762 Santa Rosa, California 39% 23,090 5% 4,303 Durham, North Carolina 39% 33,765 39% 35,388 Reno, Nevada 38% 32,920 28% 25,213 Greensboro, North Carolina 38% 35,476 20% 24,119 Lexington, Kentucky 38% 36,288 12% 18,273 Boise City, Idaho 38% 22,051 11% 13,933 Huntsville, Alabama 37% 19,741 11% 10,706 Springfield, Missouri 37% 22,686 -11% -8,526 Charleston, South Carolina 37% 14,545 39% 20,221 Columbus, Ohio 37% 119,811 4% 15,334 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 37% 27,737 26% 26,384 Eugene, Oregon 36% 20,293 6% 4,602 Lincoln, Nebraska 35% 26,608 17% 23,682 Fairfield, California 35% 12,680 11% 6,206 Stockton, California 34% 39,472 17% 20,957 Billings, Montana 34% 9,356 17% 9,823 Albuquerque, New Mexico 34% 52,730 21% 58,763 Independence, Missouri 34% 11,094 -9% -7,069 Westminster, Colorado 34% 8,955 2% 1,759 Salem, Oregon 33% 17,667 13% 9,573 Fort Wayne, Indiana 33% 22,547 26% 34,266 Nashville, Tennessee 33% 70,145 13% 41,257 Omaha, Nebraska 33% 42,743 12% 29,407 Oceanside, California 33% 19,657 -5% -5,287 Indianapolis, Indiana 33% 91,957 -4% -19,505 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33% 20,078 9% 7,654 Vallejo, California 32% 12,859 -11% -8,332 Denver, Colorado 32% 75,731 15% 45,875 St. Paul, Minnesota 32% 33,596 -10% -17,433 Miami, Florida 32% 69,699 9% 11,873 Arvada, Colorado 32% 6,868 8% 6,209 Knoxville, Tennessee 31% 22,332 -10% -9,335 San Bernardino, California 31% 25,407 -1% -529 Hollywood, Florida 31% 14,580 -4% -3,645 Athens-Clarke County, Georgia 31% 16,153 9% 3,568 Rialto, California 31% 8,661 4% 2,533 Fremont, California 31% 20,015 6% 7,679 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 31% 56,040 21% 66,478 Gresham, Oregon 30% 11,335 16% 8,173 Fresno, California 30% 63,281 13% 27,425 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 30% 157,778 -11% -100,288 Seattle, Washington 30% 73,706 19% 55,465 Richmond, Virginia 30% 28,167 -5% -4,835 Corpus Christi, Texas 30% 29,415 8% 13,193 Vancouver, Washington 29% 18,796 12% 9,026 Sandy Springs, Georgia 29% 12,069 14% 6,124 Salinas, California 29% 19,848 -7% -4,732 Santa Clara, California 28% 14,592 12% 5,910 Columbia, Maryland 28% 7,111 14% 8,406 Memphis, Tennessee 28% 72,866 -18% -66,664 Spokane, Washington 28% 19,299 -3% -3,621 Sacramento, California 27% 52,808 15% 30,461 Everett, Washington 27% 12,022 11% 4,858 Brownsville, Texas 27% 13,833 32% 28,267 Rockford, Illinois 27% 13,335 -15% -13,997 Chattanooga, Tennessee 27% 16,313 2% 1,531 St. Petersburg, Florida 26% 21,243 -8% -12,533 El Paso, Texas 26% 52,137 16% 59,575 Portland, Oregon 26% 53,936 15% 45,904 Modesto, California 26% 19,710 1% 1,378 Madison, Wisconsin 26% 23,712 18% 18,631 Amarillo, Texas 26% 14,630 9% 9,956 San Jose, California 26% 84,962 7% 40,160 Wichita, Kansas 25% 28,333 7% 16,013 Irving, Texas 25% 27,191 21% 16,723 San Buenaventura, California 25% 9,862 -1% -384 Minneapolis, Minnesota 25% 39,273 -5% -10,212 Garland, Texas 24% 17,105 2% 3,165 Fullerton, California 24% 12,996 0% 46 Escondido, California 24% 14,789 3% 1,924 Tucson, Arizona 24% 46,722 -3% -8,758 Evansville, Indiana 23% 9,611 -15% -11,096 San Diego, California 23% 132,848 7% 44,300 Montgomery, Alabama 23% 15,802 -11% -13,035 Abilene, Texas 23% 9,106 -7% -4,743 Lansing, Michigan 23% 10,479 -20% -14,275 Topeka, Kansas 22% 9,048 -6% -4,309 Stamford, Connecticut 22% 10,437 3% 1,942 Kansas City, Kansas 22% 11,543 -8% -7,170 Kansas City, Missouri 22% 35,410 0% 340 Houston, Texas 22% 214,149 10% 97,865 Sunnyvale, California 22% 13,896 9% 5,756 Clearwater, Florida 22% 8,441 -3% -1,849 Grand Rapids, Michigan 21% 14,614 -13% -14,962 Savannah, Georgia 21% 12,688 -7% -4,713 Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia 21% 15,278 -11% -12,332 Arlington, Texas 20% 26,904 14% 27,005 Richmond, California 20% 9,124 1% 297 Akron, Ohio 20% 15,789 -26% -34,951 Alexandria, Virginia 20% 14,757 24% 12,077 Orange, California 20% 9,702 0% 307 Tacoma, Washington 19% 14,698 0% -44 Anchorage, Alaska 19% 17,451 12% 19,458 Hayward, California 19% 11,567 6% 4,423 Hialeah, Florida 19% 18,808 -5% -6,178 Salt Lake City, Utah 19% 14,119 -2% -2,358 Washington, DC 18% 54,896 17% 41,180 Ontario, California 18% 12,009 2% 2,087 Daly City, California 18% 6,672 -6% -3,802 Pomona, California 18% 10,627 -9% -7,877 Tulsa, Oklahoma 17% 27,588 -7% -15,678 Elizabeth, New Jersey 17% 13,223 -9% -3,621 El Cajon, California 17% 9,270 -3% -1,011 Garden Grove, California 17% 11,387 -2% -2,130 Berkeley, California 17% 8,247 5% 2,233 Springfield, Illinois 16% 5,718 -4% -2,622 Virginia Beach, Virginia 16% 21,756 0% 68 Shreveport, Louisiana 16% 12,453 -14% -16,284 Little Rock, Arkansas 16% 11,201 4% 4,459 Concord, California 16% 7,505 -1% -1,016 Arlington, Virginia 16% 16,141 29% 24,974 Lakewood, Colorado 16% 7,963 1% 776 Pasadena, Texas 16% 9,242 4% 2,996 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 16% 14,615 -9% -10,949 Cedar Rapids, Iowa 16% 4,637 6% 5,280 Waco, Texas 16% 8,280 19% 9,856 San Mateo, California 15% 5,874 10% 4,945 Torrance, California 15% 8,109 1% 990 Waterbury, Connecticut 15% 7,488 -10% -5,291 Beaumont, Texas 14% 5,910 -3% -2,256 Jersey City, New Jersey 14% 22,366 5% 4,150 Peoria, Illinois 14% 5,699 -3% -1,719 Huntington Beach, California 13% 9,772 0% 491 Toledo, Ohio 13% 14,946 -26% -49,685 Manchester, New Hampshire 13% 6,580 -6% -3,190 Anaheim, California 13% 21,774 -1% -1,096 Jackson, Mississippi 13% 9,156 -21% -22,355 Columbia, South Carolina 13% 6,123 9% 3,915 Dallas, Texas 12% 75,467 7% 39,736 Springfield, Massachusetts 12% 8,683 -8% -6,014 Downey, California 12% 5,633 3% 1,479 Norwalk, California 11% 3,841 -2% -1,538 Metairie, Louisiana 11% 5,337 -6% -6,184 Atlanta, Georgia 11% 23,359 12% 21,768 Boston, Massachusetts 11% 37,385 15% 29,830 Ann Arbor, Michigan 10% 5,235 2% 964 Norfolk, Virginia 10% 11,129 -2% -2,347 Oakland, California 10% 21,408 -2% -3,094 Pasadena, California 9% 6,455 1% 591 New Haven, Connecticut 9% 7,208 3% 1,144 Newport News, Virginia 9% 7,077 -10% -9,332 Burbank, California 9% 4,716 0% 103 West Covina, California 9% 3,069 0% -237 Provo, Utah 9% 4,806 7% 2,940 San Francisco, California 9% 39,150 15% 47,814 Glendale, California 9% 10,086 -5% -4,135 Los Angeles, California 9% 184,473 5% 68,191 Santa Ana, California 8% 13,886 -10% -15,772 Bridgeport, Connecticut 8% 5,882 2% 957 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 8% 23,452 -8% -21,939 Worcester, Massachusetts 7% 6,475 5% 3,704 Baltimore, Maryland 7% 20,682 -15% -50,606 Paterson, New Jersey 7% 6,857 -13% -6,689 Birmingham, Alabama 7% 6,702 -28% -37,463 Rochester, New York 7% 7,704 -20% -18,220 Newark, New Jersey 7% 12,133 -4% -3,208 Lowell, Massachusetts 7% 3,545 3% 1,278 Providence, Rhode Island 7% 6,329 -1% -909 Mobile, Alabama 6% 4,404 -11% -13,250 New York, New York 6% 283,643 10% 273,782 Costa Mesa, California 5% 3,095 6% 2,419 East Los Angeles, California 3% 2,671 -6% -2,977 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 3% 4,275 -19% -34,914 Long Beach, California 3% 8,347 1% 2,217 Syracuse, New York 3% 1,999 -14% -8,337 Green Bay, Wisconsin 2% 694 1% 859 Hampton, Virginia 1% 620 -4% -2,839 Inglewood, California 1% 491 -6% -2,495 Hartford, Connecticut 0% 386 0% -7 Buffalo, New York -1% -1,312 -22% -29,684 St. Louis, Missouri -2% -4,043 -17% -29,185 Chicago, Illinois -3% -44,201 -9% -128,668 Yonkers, New York -3% -3,679 9% 8,067 Cincinnati, Ohio -4% -7,625 -17% -23,677 Cleveland, Ohio -5% -10,442 -32% -78,550 Dayton, Ohio -7% -4,598 -26% -22,299 El Monte, California -8% -5,473 12% 5,192 Detroit, Michigan -17% -68,222 -37% -196,592 New Orleans, Louisiana -22% -51,640 -18% -40,679

NOTE: Data shown for jurisdictions with populations over 100,000.

SOURCE: 2017 5-year ACS, 2000 Census

View additional renting data for all cities.