The 2024 Renter Preferences Survey Report by the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and Grace Hill reveals the evolving priorities of renters across the country. Featuring responses from 172,703 renters living in 4,220 communities, the report sheds light on the demographics, lifestyle, connectivity needs, and more for the renters of today.
Included in the research are renter preferences for apartment features and amenities. At the top of this list—the amenity/feature that respondents are “interested in” or “won't rent without”—is air conditioning. While 93% of renters fall into this category (a two percent increase from the 2022 report), there is one region of the U.S. where renters feel the change the most.
Where is apartment air conditioning demand increasing most?
The Pacific Northwest (PNW) region, characterized mostly by various mountain ranges within the states of Oregon and Washington, has seen some of the largest changes in air conditioning interest since 2022:
- A 3% increase in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore-Wash, area, from 87% in 2022 to 90% in 2024
- A 5% increase in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash., area, from 77% in 2022 to 82% in 2024
- A 10% increase in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, Wash., area, from 79% in 2022 to 89% in 2024
According to NMHC/Grace Hill, these three markets saw some of the largest changes in the air conditioning category in the past two years. As a region that historically has had little need for A/C even in its warmest seasons, the amenity is becoming increasingly crucial for rental communities. Across the U.S., extreme heat was the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in 2022, according to the National Weather Service. With temperatures rising each year, PNW metros like Portland and Seattle are shifting gears.
The number of Seattle rental units with A/C has nearly doubled in the last six years alone. Just 21% included primary air conditioning in 2015, while 41% of units had A/C in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Some other apartment features that respondents across the country indicated an interest in include in-unit washer/dryers (93%), high-speed internet access (90%), soundproof walls (88%), and walk-in closets (87%).
To get access to the full 2024 Renter Preferences Survey Report, visit nmhc.org
Related Stories
Urban Planning | Oct 12, 2023
Top 10 'future-ready' cities
With rising climate dilemmas, breakthroughs in technology, and aging infrastructure, the needs of our cities cannot be solved with a single silver bullet. This Point2 report compared the country's top cities over a variety of metrics.
Higher Education | Oct 10, 2023
Tracking the carbon footprint of higher education campuses in the era of online learning
With more effective use of their facilities, streamlining of administration, and thoughtful adoption of high-quality online learning, colleges and universities can raise enrollment by at least 30%, reducing their carbon footprint per student by 11% and lowering their cost per student by 15% with the same level of instruction and better student support.
Architects | Oct 4, 2023
Architects and contractors underestimate cyberattack risk
Design and construction industry firms underestimate their vulnerability to cyberattacks, according to a new report, Data Resilience in Design and Construction: How Digital Discipline Builds Stronger Firms by Dodge Construction Network and content security and management company Egnyte.
Building Materials | Oct 2, 2023
Purdue engineers develop intelligent architected materials
Purdue University civil engineers have developed innovative materials that can dissipate energy caused by various physical stresses without sustaining permanent damage.
Giants 400 | Sep 28, 2023
Top 100 University Building Construction Firms for 2023
Turner Construction, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., STO Building Group, Suffolk Construction, and Skanska USA top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest university sector contractors and construction management firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all university/college-related buildings except student residence halls, sports/recreation facilities, laboratories, S+T-related buildings, parking facilities, and performing arts centers (revenue for those buildings are reported in their respective Giants 400 ranking).
Construction Costs | Sep 28, 2023
U.S. construction market moves toward building material price stabilization
The newly released Quarterly Construction Cost Insights Report for Q3 2023 from Gordian reveals material costs remain high compared to prior years, but there is a move towards price stabilization for building and construction materials after years of significant fluctuations. In this report, top industry experts from Gordian, as well as from Gilbane, McCarthy Building Companies, and DPR Construction weigh in on the overall trends seen for construction material costs, and offer innovative solutions to navigate this terrain.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 26, 2023
Midwest metros see greatest rent increase in September 2023
While the median monthly price of rent has increased by 0.71% in August, the year-over-year estimates show a national change of -0.06 percent.
Data Centers | Sep 21, 2023
North American data center construction rises 25% to record high in first half of 2023, driven by growth of artificial intelligence
CBRE’s latest North American Data Center Trends Report found there is 2,287.6 megawatts (MW) of data center supply currently under construction in primary markets, reaching a new all-time high with more than 70% already preleased.
Data Centers | Sep 15, 2023
Power constraints are restricting data center market growth
There is record global demand for new data centers, but availability of power is hampering market growth. That’s one of the key findings from a new CBRE report: Global Data Center Trends 2023.
Contractors | Sep 12, 2023
The average U.S. contractor has 9.2 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of August 2023
Associated Builders and Contractors' Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 9.2 months in August, down 0.1 month, according to an ABC member survey conducted from Aug. 21 to Sept. 6. The reading is 0.5 months above the August 2022 level.
