You might not think finding an apartment in Gardner would be all that tough. But as it turns out, Central Massachusetts is home to one of the most competitive rental markets in the United States, a new study has found.
The study by Forbes Advisor analyzed data on the cost and availability of rental units in the 75 most populated metro areas nationwide, and ranked the Worcester metro area as the third most competitive market in the country, an unusually stark sign of the state’s housing crunch.
“With extremely low vacancy rates and some of the worst availability of rental units, Worcester metro area renters are battling a tough rental market,’’ the study said.
The metro area covers Worcester County and Windham County in northeast Connecticut. Worcester County is the state’s largest county by area in Massachusetts and the second most populous with more than 866,000 people.
And its rental housing market is drum-tight.
The number of rental units available in the metro area “is seventh worst across the study with an average of 94 available rentals per 100,000 households, well below the study average of 240,’’ the study stated.
At less than 2 percent, the metro area had the second-lowest rental vacancy rate in the country, the study found. Renters in the region have seen the third-highest increase in rental prices over the last year, with a hike of $163.
“Worcester made it in the top 25 most competitive rental markets due to its high rental prices, with a median price of $1,995 per rental — nearly $200 higher than the study median price of $1,804,’’ the study said.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton Metro Area was ranked 12th; the Hartford area was ranked 14th, and the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk Metro Area in Connecticut was ranked 21st in the survey.
“Rentals are a hot commodity across the country, thanks to high mortgage rates and elevated home prices,’’ the study said. “Now, there are greater cost savings to renting versus buying in most of the top metro areas. Recent data from Realtor.com found that the average monthly cost of buying a starter home was $1,027 higher than renting in February 2024.’’
If you’re wondering where the least competitive rental markets are, they’re not around here.
Nowhere in New England cracked the 25 least competitive markets. The closest place was the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metro Area, which ranked 12th.
The Baltimore metro area took the top spot as the least competitive rental market in the country, with a median rental price of $1,500.
The rankings were determined by eight metrics: the number of available rentals; the rental vacancy rate; the one-year change in rental vacancy rate; the number of new unit building permits; rental price changes from 2023 to 2024; median rental prices; percentage of prospective renters; and percentage of renter-occupied housing units compared with owner-occupied housing units.