Studies show that moving is one of the top stressors in life, second only to divorce and the death of a loved one. Of course, not all moves are the same; the origin and destination of your move greatly influence how challenging it can be. While moving into or out of a house can be a colossal undertaking, renters face their own unique challenges.
So, which cities are the hardest to move to or from as a renter? To help our readers make more informed decisions — or just to validate their own experiences — the team at Rove Lab has delved into 13 data-driven factors to create a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. metros that are the most difficult for renters to move in and out of. Our deep dive covers population density, rental housing factors, transportation logistics, weather conditions, and more. Here are our findings:
What Is the Hardest City to Move to as a Renter?
The most challenging city to move to (and out of) as a renter is New York, New York, specifically the New York-Newark-Jersey City-NY-NJ metro area, which scored a staggering 77.16 points on our index. Several factors contribute to its position at the top of the list of worst cities for moving.
First, New York is by far the city with the most renters, making it one of the most congested metropolitan areas in America. It also has the highest population density, at 3,247.7 people per square mile. The top 12 most densely populated incorporated places in the United States are located within New York City, and the list includes more NYC neighborhoods further down.
This extreme population density is the primary reason New York City ranks as the hardest city for renters to move to. The rental market and housing situation further compound the challenge of renting in New York. Approximately 48.8% of total housing units are occupied by renters, the second-highest rate in the country. This means nearly half of the city’s population is competing for rental housing. Only 19.7% of these renters have moved out in the past year, which intensifies competition; in fact, New York City has the lowest renter turnover rate among the 55 major metropolitan areas we studied.
The city’s fantastic yet formidable housing is another factor. New York has many large apartment buildings, with 57.2% of rental properties classified as large (10 or more units). It also has some of the oldest apartments, with a median age of 65 years, tied for the second-oldest in the country. Pair these characteristics, and you have a logistical nightmare for moving. While older buildings are full of charm, they often come with tight spaces, narrow stairwells, and limited elevator capacity.
New York is infamous for its complex rules and regulations, so it requires meticulous planning to execute a successful move into “The City That Never Sleeps.” StreetEasy has provided an excellent guide for those looking to move to NYC.
The population density is also reflected in the high scores in our analysis of transportation conditions. When you picture a bustling street in the Big Apple, you likely imagine numerous yellow taxis. During peak hours, New York averages 212 transit service vehicles per square mile, nearly four times the second-highest city for transit congestion (New Orleans, at 59.6). This constant congestion can make navigating and parking a moving truck immensely challenging, especially given the city’s notoriously narrow streets and strict vehicle enforcement.
Where Is the Worst Traffic Congestion?
Despite its dense population, New York City does not have the worst traffic congestion in America. That unfortunate distinction belongs to the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, metropolitan area, where commuters face an average of seven hours and 49 minutes of congestion on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Why is traffic worse in Los Angeles than in New York City? A major factor is LA’s heavy reliance on cars. Unlike New York, which has an extensive and efficient public transportation system, many people in Los Angeles have no choice but to drive to reach their destinations. Additionally, the city’s extreme urban sprawl exacerbates the issue, leading to long commutes that can stretch throughout the day.
Which U.S. City Has the Highest Renter Turnover Rate?
The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, metropolitan area has the highest renter turnover rate in the nation, at 49.1%. This rate is primarily due to a construction boom propelled by pandemic-era growth, resulting in an oversupply of units. This oversupply has created favorable conditions for current and prospective renters in the area, prompting landlords to offer incentives to encourage them to relocate.
Additionally, many new units are modern and amenity-rich, prompting renters to leave older apartments, especially when attractive deals are offered to persuade them to make the move. According to RentCafe.com, Austin has been named America’s #1 move-easy metro. Realtor.com describes the city as renter-friendly, noting declining rent rates and a high rental vacancy rate. Our findings support this characterization — Austin is one of the easiest cities for renters to move to (and the weather is hard to beat, too).
How Rove Lab Can Help
One of the biggest challenges of moving to a new city is managing your furniture. You need help with heavy lifting and transporting items, which can be tricky in the tight spaces of apartment living. Additionally, you must ensure everything remains safe during the move and then assemble all your furniture upon arrival. This entire process can be time-consuming and may even lead to injuries or damage to your new place.
Rove Lab understands the realities of moving because many of our customers are navigating that exact transition. In fact, 65% of Rove Lab buyers have moved in the last six months, which is why our furniture is designed with real-life moves, small spaces, and easy setup in mind. That demand is especially strong in places like New York City, Brooklyn, and Jersey City, where Rove Lab sales are about four times higher than expected based on population alone. This could be a sign that our furniture is resonating in the kinds of dense, apartment-heavy areas where moving can be especially difficult. We offer sleek, functional solutions that arrive in manageable boxes, require no tools, and can be set up quickly and easily by one person. Our modular, low-profile sofa and bed designs let you arrange them to fit your new space perfectly, so you can start enjoying hard-earned relaxation as soon as the stress of moving is behind you.
If you’re moving to a place with outdoor space, you can bring comfort outside with our outdoor collection. This series of premium, all-weather pieces is designed for sun-soaked family gatherings, late-night festivities, and peaceful mornings.
Rove Lab is not only convenient but also significantly more sustainable than traditional furniture production and delivery. By sourcing lightweight, sustainable materials and optimizing delivery routes using machine learning, we have reduced the carbon footprint of our manufacturing and delivery by around 80%. You can have peace of mind knowing you’re making an eco-friendly choice. We also share moving tips, home styling advice, design inspiration, and more on our Rove Home Decor Blog.
The Most Difficult U.S. Metropolitan Areas for Rental Moves
Methodology
To identify where moving might be most difficult in the U.S., we analyzed 55 major metropolitan areas using a weighted index based on 13 metrics across four categories: Population Density (10%), Rental Housing Factors (35%), Transportation Conditions (35%), and Weather Conditions (20%). Each metric was chosen for its potential to make moving more physically demanding, time-consuming, or logistically difficult.
Population Density was included to gauge how crowded and space-constrained a metro area might be during a move. Rental Housing Factors incorporated renter share, renter turnover, share of large rental buildings, and median age of renter-occupied housing to reflect frequent move-ins and move-outs, denser apartment living, and older buildings that may have tighter layouts, narrow stairwells, or limited elevator access. Transportation Conditions assessed road congestion, car-oriented road density, street intersection density, and peak-hour transit service density to indicate how difficult it may be to drive, maneuver, and park a moving truck. Weather Conditions were considered because rain, snow, humidity, and heat can all make moving more physically taxing, less comfortable, more prone to damage to belongings, and more vulnerable to delays or safety issues.
Each metric was standardized and scored so that metros with characteristics likely to complicate moving received higher scores. The category weights were then applied to produce a final overall score, with higher scores indicating metro areas where moving is expected to be more challenging overall.
Metrics
Population Density
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Metro Population Density: Number of people per square mile.
Rental Housing Factors
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Renter Share: Percentage of total housing units occupied by renters.
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Renter Turnover Rate: Percentage of renter-occupied housing units that moved in the last year (2023–2024).
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Share of Large Rental Buildings: Percentage of rental buildings with 10 or more rental units.
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Age of Rental Housing: Median age of renter-occupied housing units as of 2026.
Transportation Conditions
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Road Congestion: Average hours of road congestion during weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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Road Density: Weighted number of miles of car-oriented roadway per square mile.
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Street Intersection Density: Weighted number of street intersections per square mile.
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Transit Service Density: Weighted peak-hour transit service frequency per square mile.
Weather Conditions
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Rainy Days: Average number of days per year with at least 0.01 inch of precipitation.
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Snow Days: Average number of days per year with at least 1 inch of snowfall.
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Humidity: Annual average daily relative humidity.
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High Temperatures: Average annual high temperature.
# Metropolitan Statistical Area Pop.
(M)Metro Pop.
DensityRenter
UnitsRenter
ShareTurnover
RateLarge
BldgsAge
HousingCongestion Road
DensityIntersection
DensityTransit
DensityRainy
DaysSnow
DaysHumidity High
TempSCORE 1 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 19.94 3,247.7 3,653,646 48.8% 19.7% 57.2% 65 6:25 0.79 36.4 212.0 125 11.4 63% 63°F 77.16 2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 12.93 2,663.5 2,373,302 51.8% 23.7% 45.1% 54 7:49 1.00 40.5 34.6 34 0.0 71% 75°F 70.09 3 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 6.44 1,066.8 884,329 36.6% 37.0% 58.9% 42 6:44 0.58 17.7 51.1 118 8.0 64% 68°F 69.01 4 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 4.65 1,882.1 795,678 44.9% 29.4% 44.1% 55 5:37 0.65 33.4 33.1 71 0.0 74% 64°F 67.76 5 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 9.41 1,359.0 1,260,204 34.1% 30.9% 41.1% 54 4:50 0.71 30.2 43.5 127 28.2 70% 61°F 67.72 6 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 5.03 1,441.5 768,130 39.0% 30.5% 42.7% 58 4:19 0.48 27.1 34.1 128 23.0 67% 59°F 67.51 7 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4.15 706.2 690,498 41.6% 39.8% 55.3% 35 6:39 0.22 14.6 24.6 156 4.7 73% 61°F 67.26 8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 6.46 1,274.4 933,538 39.2% 33.7% 52.0% 41 6:09 0.64 20.6 12.8 141 0.0 73% 84°F 63.99 9 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 6.33 1,375.2 830,097 33.1% 30.7% 36.6% 58 4:21 0.54 26.5 26.5 121 12.0 67% 65°F 63.40 10 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 2.86 1,099.0 380,098 33.3% 31.5% 39.9% 51 5:52 0.61 22.2 26.8 121 9.0 66% 67°F 62.99 11 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 1.57 1,082.2 260,009 39.2% 32.1% 40.4% 55 3:00 0.88 25.2 28.2 126 35.1 72% 57°F 62.75 12 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 7.80 882.0 1,086,526 39.2% 41.7% 51.0% 32 5:50 0.74 18.6 21.0 107 0.1 75% 80°F 62.06 13 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 4.40 1,130.4 510,249 28.7% 31.5% 31.6% 55 2:27 0.76 25.0 34.0 136 37.6 71% 59°F 60.63 14 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 1.70 1,071.8 249,194 36.5% 24.5% 28.7% 65 3:36 0.50 25.6 6.8 127 19.3 68% 61°F 59.37 15 Pittsburgh, PA 2.43 430.8 311,288 29.0% 31.7% 31.8% 62 2:38 0.34 14.6 34.2 154 40.2 68% 61°F 59.23 16 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2.00 744.7 315,397 45.5% 33.1% 45.3% 46 5:10 0.36 14.6 6.8 59 0.0 74% 71°F 59.22 17 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 3.42 1,361.2 440,810 32.0% 41.4% 40.0% 38 3:59 0.90 29.2 6.4 108 0.0 74% 83°F 58.99 18 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 8.34 961.7 1,204,598 40.0% 43.4% 49.4% 30 4:52 0.94 20.2 13.3 82 1.5 65% 78°F 58.47 19 New Orleans-Metairie, LA 0.97 409.7 154,367 38.3% 32.8% 29.6% 51 3:25 0.40 9.7 59.6 115 0.0 76% 79°F 58.25 20 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 3.05 365.8 457,427 36.1% 43.4% 57.8% 33 5:24 0.28 9.5 8.2 84 31.4 52% 66°F 58.19 21 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 2.54 379.5 399,269 38.9% 35.2% 45.8% 37 6:27 0.26 9.2 5.8 163 2.6 73% 63°F 58.02 22 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 1.16 741.3 157,396 31.2% 28.0% 24.9% 66 3:34 0.70 14.1 9.3 166 59.5 72% 57°F 57.54 23 Cleveland, OH 2.17 804.0 295,109 31.5% 30.8% 39.4% 60 1:25 0.96 19.1 15.2 159 45.8 71% 61°F 57.24 24 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3.76 533.2 454,732 30.1% 37.6% 64.1% 45 3:44 0.85 13.0 17.4 119 38.2 68% 55°F 56.86 25 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 1.17 805.4 154,864 33.0% 30.3% 38.4% 57 2:10 0.46 15.3 14.8 130 22.3 66% 61°F 56.23 26 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 2.55 604.4 457,429 43.1% 49.1% 54.9% 20 4:51 0.70 10.6 13.6 86 0.6 67% 81°F 55.71 27 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 2.94 841.6 419,673 38.3% 44.1% 44.0% 28 3:28 0.77 15.9 2.8 130 0.0 74% 83°F 55.20 28 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 6.41 729.9 792,937 33.2% 38.5% 42.8% 31 4:58 0.58 14.2 11.9 116 1.5 68% 73°F 55.13 29 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 2.17 532.3 289,397 33.3% 38.5% 33.2% 42 2:52 0.47 12.9 12.2 128 22.4 72% 63°F 53.13 30 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 2.30 525.1 290,040 31.4% 34.7% 35.3% 51 2:42 0.54 10.6 14.6 136 21.7 70% 64°F 52.61 31 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 1.79 560.4 266,624 37.1% 37.7% 29.2% 43 4:44 0.61 11.6 9.9 118 4.0 69% 70°F 52.51 32 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 3.30 783.4 539,908 45.6% 31.2% 41.2% 43 3:17 0.55 14.3 5.5 40 0.0 69% 71°F 52.37 33 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 2.76 377.8 371,338 36.9% 48.2% 39.8% 33 3:32 0.47 7.2 14.7 81 0.3 67% 80°F 51.28 34 Rochester, NY 1.06 361.1 151,515 33.7% 30.1% 29.3% 56 2:29 0.65 6.6 4.1 168 65.2 73% 58°F 51.28 35 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI 1.18 363.5 112,730 25.2% 37.1% 39.8% 45 2:43 0.72 8.5 13.6 149 50.9 73% 58°F 51.24 36 Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 2.15 341.2 307,415 35.4% 42.4% 41.4% 30 3:11 0.35 8.4 7.2 123 5.5 70% 72°F 51.19 37 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 2.88 515.1 383,002 33.9% 39.5% 40.1% 27 3:19 0.50 11.7 17.1 112 1.9 67% 72°F 50.90 38 Jacksonville, FL 1.76 549.9 230,447 32.6% 43.9% 40.4% 33 3:14 0.62 12.1 1.2 120 0.0 76% 80°F 50.82 39 Columbus, OH 2.23 463.9 332,895 37.8% 37.5% 32.7% 42 2:04 0.69 10.6 12.6 141 28.3 70% 63°F 50.51 40 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 1.30 166.9 162,475 34.6% 45.7% 46.4% 31 2:15 0.11 3.9 4.9 92 31.4 55% 65°F 50.27 41 Raleigh-Cary, NC 1.56 737.3 218,517 35.0% 40.8% 41.6% 24 2:01 0.74 15.6 6.2 118 3.4 70% 72°F 49.82 42 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 1.39 352.0 177,423 31.1% 36.0% 33.0% 47 2:27 0.46 10.4 11.6 125 12.3 69% 68°F 49.44 43 Tulsa, OK 1.06 169.0 148,706 35.3% 37.2% 31.3% 46 3:18 0.31 6.0 6.2 94 5.4 66% 72°F 48.70 44 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 2.46 483.6 327,388 36.4% 32.3% 30.5% 44 3:50 0.46 11.1 2.9 61 0.0 67% 76°F 48.38 45 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 5.19 356.0 658,635 33.5% 42.9% 42.0% 32 2:31 0.25 8.4 11.3 33 0.0 37% 87°F 48.03 46 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 2.40 304.0 375,458 42.2% 39.2% 31.9% 30 3:55 0.22 6.2 14.7 26 0.2 30% 81°F 47.79 47 Memphis, TN-MS-AR 1.34 269.4 213,355 40.4% 37.0% 25.0% 43 2:48 0.41 7.7 5.8 111 2.6 67% 73°F 47.61 48 Kansas City, MO-KS 2.25 310.6 303,939 33.2% 36.5% 34.0% 45 2:24 0.53 10.1 6.3 104 13.8 68% 65°F 47.07 49 Richmond, VA 1.37 313.9 186,692 33.7% 38.7% 37.4% 42 1:50 0.55 7.3 9.9 119 5.6 70% 70°F 46.88 50 St. Louis, MO-IL 2.81 357.6 343,934 29.2% 34.1% 27.8% 53 0:56 0.52 10.7 9.0 114 14.5 70% 67°F 46.63 51 Oklahoma City, OK 1.50 271.7 216,572 36.8% 40.5% 23.8% 44 2:06 0.40 8.4 7.9 83 4.9 65% 71°F 46.29 52 Tucson, AZ 1.08 117.6 152,892 33.7% 43.4% 40.1% 41 2:26 0.09 3.0 1.0 47 0.2 38% 84°F 45.61 53 Birmingham, AL 1.19 225.9 139,037 29.2% 34.7% 28.9% 45 1:36 0.33 7.9 3.5 118 0.8 70% 74°F 45.52 54 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 4.74 173.9 507,535 34.2% 27.3% 26.3% 40 4:28 0.19 3.9 0.9 35 0.0 71% 80°F 45.08 55 Fresno, CA 1.19 146.9 159,932 42.2% 27.1% 20.1% 44 2:28 0.30 3.3 1.7 47 0.0 61% 76°F 42.04 Sources
POPULATION DENSITY
Metro Population Density:
U.S. Census Bureau, Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Totals and Gazetteer Files https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html
https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.htmlRENTAL HOUSING FACTORS
Renter Share, Renter Turnover Rate, Share of Large Rental Buildings, and Age of Rental Housing:
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.htmlTRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS
Road Congestion:
FHWA Quarterly Urban Congestion Reports https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/perf_measurement/ucr/
Road Density, Street Intersection Density, and Transit Service Density:
EPA Smart Location Mapping https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-location-mappingWEATHER CONDITIONS
Rainy Days, Snow Days, Humidity, and High Temperatures:
Current Results, American Weather in Major U.S. Cities https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/weather-averages-index.php