It used to be simple: you rented in the city, bought a house in the suburbs. End of story.

But not anymore. 😬😬

There’s a quiet shift happening in neighborhoods across America—and it’s reshaping the way we live, move, and think about home.

The renter-dominated suburb is officially here.

Driven by affordability, mobility, and lifestyle changes, more and more people are choosing to rent—not just in big cities, but in the suburbs that used to be synonymous with white picket fences and 30-year mortgages.

In fact, in America’s 20 largest metro areas, 203 suburbs now have more renters than homeowners.

Yep, you read that right—more leases than mortgages.

The lines between “city living” and “suburban life” are blurring fast.

And here’s the thing: this shift isn’t linear.

It ebbs and flows with market conditions. Some years, when buying feels impossible, people keep renting no matter their life stage.

Other times, they make the leap to homeownership if the stars (and interest rates) align.

But lately, the suburbs are winning out—not just for affordability, but for space, privacy, and a growing number of high-quality rental options.

A Trend That’s Here to Stay

Yes, the number of renter-majority suburbs dipped slightly since its 2018 peak (233 down to 203), but compared to the old days—when suburbs were almost entirely homeowner territory—this is a massive shift.

Today, more than 6 million households rent a suburban home, and that number keeps growing.

And in just five years? 15 new suburbs have flipped to renter-majority.

The East Coast leads the pack—suburbs outside New York, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore are at the forefront of this change. But cities like Chicago aren’t far behind.

Why? Because developers are getting strategic.

They’re moving away from building primarily in dense urban cores and focusing on expanding outward—offering renters more space, better amenities, and that elusive work-life balance many crave.

Suburbs Are Outpacing Cities in Surprising Ways

In some metros, renting in the suburbs isn’t just keeping pace with city renting—it’s outpacing it.

👉  In Dallas, renter households in the city grew nearly 8%, but the suburbs? They jumped by 18%.
👉  Minneapolis and Boston suburbs also beat their urban counterparts, growing by 3% and 2%, respectively.
👉  Even in Tampa and Baltimore, the gap was narrow—but suburban renting still edged ahead.

And this isn’t a fluke. 104 suburbs gained more than 1,000 renter households in just five years. That’s not a blip—it’s a sea change.

Why This Is Happening (And Why It Matters)

The late 2000s housing crisis started the shift, and the pandemic accelerated it. But what’s keeping the momentum going now?

👉  Affordability: For many Millennials and Gen Zers, buying in the city feels out of reach. Suburban rentals offer space and stability without the steep price tag (or commitment).
👉  Flexibility: Renting makes it easier to move for work, family, or lifestyle.
👉  Remote Work: With nearly 70% of U.S. employers now offering location flexibility, people no longer need to live near their job to stay competitive.

We’re seeing this play out firsthand with our build-to-rent community in Melissa, TX—just 27 miles from Frisco (which saw a 10,213 net increase in renter households over five years!) and 7 miles from McKinney (with a 6,039 net increase). 😵😵

The demand is clear: people want suburban living, but they want it on flexible terms.

Build-to-rent communities like ours meet that demand—offering the space and amenities of homeownership with the freedom of renting.

The Bottom Line

This shift toward suburban renting is more than a housing trend—it’s a reflection of how Americans are rethinking home. It’s about choice, mobility, and quality of life.

And while the suburbs once meant settling down and saying goodbye to renting days, that story is being rewritten—in real time.

The question now isn’t “Will this trend continue?”

It’s “How will we keep up?”

And if you ask us? The future of housing looks a whole lot more flexible, spacious, and suburb-friendly than we ever imagined. ✨

Source:  Point2Homes.com