Top 10 metros for downtown apartment construction in 2025

Since 2020, new apartment construction continues to break records—but not always in the bustling downtown areas they used to reside in. A shift towards building in outlying areas has been commonplace in recent years, reflecting the shift in the ways people prefer to live.

According to a recent RentCafe report, downtown apartment construction peaked in the decade before the Coronavirus pandemic, but it's now slowing as growth in outer areas increases. This begs the question, what metros are still holding strong to downtown multifamily living?

RentCafe analyzed data from the 50 largest U.S. cities throughout the past 35 years to find the latest trends in downtown apartment construction. This also includes adaptive reuse projects, a recent major trend in apartment construction as office buildings become increasingly obsolete.

Top 10 Metros for Downtown Apartment Construction

According to RentCafe, downtown areas have been slowly losing momentum since 2020. Since then, only 35% of new apartments built have been in downtown areas, down from 39% pre-pandemic. Similarly, adaptive reuse projects have also dropped from 10% of downtown completions in the 2010s to just 6% today.

Here is a look at the top metros where downtown apartment construction is still booming. These 10 metros signify where the most downtown multifamily units have been built after 2020.

1. Washington, D.C.

• Washington, D.C. boasts 22,959 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 79.9% (up 4.6 percentage points from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 7.3%

2. Chicago, Ill.

• Chicago had 13,901 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 63.3% (down 1.2 percentage points from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 5.4%

3. Denver, Colo.

• Denver had 13,149 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 47.9% (up 1 percentage point from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 5.5%

4. Atlanta, Ga.

• Atlanta had 11,130 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 35.3% (up 0.3 percentage points from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 1.5%

5. Charlotte, N.C.

• Charlotte had 11,031 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 29.7% (down 6.7 percentage points from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 0%

6. Miami, Fla.

• Miami had 10,841 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 38.3% (down 1 percentage point from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 0%

7. Seattle, Wash.

• Seattle had 10,195 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 39.9% (down 10.1 percentage points from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 2.6%

8. Nashville, Tenn.

• Nashville had 8,892 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 38.1% (down 8.4 percentage points from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 3.8%

9. Philadelphia, Pa.

• Philadelphia had 8,271 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 58.3% (down 12.4 percentage points from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 16.2%

10. Columbus, Ohio

• Columbus had 8,090 new apartments built downtown from 2020–2024.
• Share of new downtown apartments of citywide completions: 40.4% (up 4.7 percentage points from the previous decade).
• Share of adaptive reuse apartments in downtown: 3.7%

To read the full findings of the report, visit RentCafe.com