Atlanta’s downtown district is once again attracting residents, reversing decades of sprawl that saw families flock to the suburbs. Georgia’s largest city leads the nation in downtown apartment construction, according to a new report.

StorageCafe.com’s report shows that  downtowns are back in vogue again, with Atlanta leading the way. The site looked at the downtown areas of the country’s 100 largest cities and ranked them based on the number of multifamily units built over the past decade.

What City Is #1 In America For Downtown Apartment Construction?

The nation is in the middle of a housing crisis, with not enough dwellings being built for American families, but Atlanta is doing its part.

  • The city has built more than 21,000 units from 2013 to 2022, according to StorageCafe.
  • The next-closest city with that kind of downtown construction is Los Angeles, with $19,342 units built over that period.
  • The 21,500 apartments built in Atlanta over the past 10 years represents more than half or its inventory. Downtown Atlanta has another 7,000 new apartments currently being built, according to the site.

Let’s look at how the cities rank in terms of apartment unit construction.

Cities With The Most Apartment Units Being Built

  • Atlanta — 21,508
  • Los Angeles, CA — 19,342
  • Houston, TX — `15,607
  • Charlotte, NC — 12,836
  • Miami, FL — 12,401
  • Nashville, TN — 11,144
  • Denver, CO — 10,730
  • Jersey City, NJ — 10,236
  • Brookyn, NY — 9,623
  • Minneapolis, MN — 9,554
  • Baltimore, MD — 9,043
  • Chicago, IL — 9,031
  • San Diego, CA — 8,696
  • San Antonio, TX — 8,373
  • Raleigh, NC — 8,341
  • Philadelphia, PA — 8,019
  • Tampa, FL — 7,494
  • San Jose, CA — 7,487
  • Richmond, VA — 7,329
  • Orlando, FL — 7,264

How To Afford An Apartment In Atlanta

You already know that Atlanta apartment market is one of the most expensive in the country. The average rent in Atlanta is more than $1,800 a month. How can you afford rent?

Get A High-Paying Job

You need to have a salary that meets the median income across the Atlanta metro area. If you can switch to a higher-paying job, now is the time to do that.

Work flexibility is at an all-time high as many employers are hiring remote workers right now. Here are some insightful steps on how to find a job in Atlanta.

Get A Roommate

Having a roommate will not only allow you to save more of your money, but it also automatically gives you some company for lonely nights. As long as you get along, it could be great.

The key to finding a good roommate is to screen properly.

Some great places to find a roommate include:

Ask For A Cheaper Unit

Many apartments will only show you their more expensive one-, or two-, or three-bedroom apartments, but if you want to stay there and save money at the same time, you need to ask the leasing agent for their least expensive options.

See if you can haggle them on the price by promising to pay the first six months of the rent or another concession.

Apartments will typically have apartments that need a paint job or other cosmetic fix that they may rent you if they’re in a hurry. It won’t hate to ask.

Final Word

The Atlanta construction boom hasn’t just been relegated to downtown. Places like Smyrna, Doraville and high-priced Buckhead have cranes in the sky. In fact, many of the suburban and exurban areas are seeing structures being built on what seems like a monthly basis.

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