Why Rochester Ranks As Minnesota's Top City For Renters

Rochester has earned plenty of national attention for its quality of life, but this latest accolade hits a little closer to home for anyone paying rent. A new nationwide ranking says Minnesota's Med City is the best in the state, and the numbers tell an interesting story about where renters might want to live.

Why Rochester, Minnesota, Ranks Among the Best Cities for Renters

Rochester has made headlines over the past several years as one of the country's top cities for quality of life. In a story I wrote back in 2020, Rochester, which is also now the largest outside of the Twin Cities metro, landed at the top of the SmartAsset Most Livable Mid-Sized City list.

Then, in 2022, I wrote a story about how Niche ranked Rochester 33rd on its list of America's Best Cities To Live, noting high marks the Med City garnered for both families and housing.

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Earlier this year, I wrote about how Livability published its 2026 list of the Top 100 Best Places To Live in the U.S., and Rochester once again made the list-- one of just two Minnesota cities to be included in the national survey.

And now, Minnesota's Med City has just been called the top spot in Minnesota for those who rent. That's the word from RentCafe.com's new list of the best cities in the country for renters.

How Rochester Ranked on the National Best Cities for Renters List

To compile their list, the RentCafe.com crew looked at 20 key metrics across 150 U.S. cities, including categories such as affordability, renter income growth, number of social associations (civic groups, clubs and community organizations), walkability and more.

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And, overall, Rochester came in at #21 on the list this year, followed by Minneapolis at #49 and St. Paul at #87. Specifically, Rochester ranked 61 out of 150 in the overall category of Housing and Cost of Living; ranked #27 in the Local Economy category; and placed at #11 in the category of Quality of Life.

Overall, the survey said Rochester "appeals to renters looking for small-town charm and a strong community infrastructure with plenty of well-regarded schools, parks, and health care access," it noted.

Seeing as it's been a hot minute or two-- or over 20 years-- since I last rented, I have to say I'm a little out of the loop on what it's like to be a renter here in Rochester. If you're a renter, or have been one recently, do you agree with this survey?