3 Arizona cities among 25 most affordable for renters living alone

PHOENIX — Living alone allows for more freedom, but financially handling the entire cost of rent can be tough for some.

Three Arizona cities, however, were recently ranked by SmartAsset as being among the 25 most affordable locations for renters living alone.

Tucson cracked the top ten at No. 4, while Glendale placed No. 19 and Phoenix came in at a tie for No. 23 with Washington D.C. and Baltimore.

The study compared 100 of the largest cities in the country with five metrics: average rent for two or fewer bedrooms, the percent of units available with fewer than two bedrooms, median earnings for full-time workers, cost of living and the unemployment rate of the area.

Tucson received high praise for being one of the best locations in the study for average rent ($628), the annual cost of living (around $19,600) and the unemployment rate of 8.4% in May.

The average monthly rent for two or fewer bedrooms in Glendale is $755, according to the study, while Phoenix is $821.

The cost of living for the two Valley cities is also higher than Tucson, with Phoenix and Glendale both being $21,225, according to the study.

Full-time workers make more in Glendale and Phoenix than Tucson, however, with the median in both cities earning over $40,000 a year compared to $35,784 in Tucson.

Phoenix and Glendale also had a slightly lower unemployment rate of 8.3%, according to the study.

Arizona was the only state in the study to have three locations in the top 25.

Cincinnati for the third year in a row was deemed the most affordable location in the country for single renters.

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