You Might Be One of the Cool Kids Now If You’re Renting in Dallas … Really

If you’re renting an apartment, you’re riding a trend now. You’re one of the cool kids.

Renting in the U.S. is at its highest level in 55 years with 43.7 million households writing out a monthly rental check, according to a RentCafé report.

RentCafé sifted through U.S. Census Bureau data to identify 101 ZIP codes in 50 of the nation’s largest cities to find a renter-majority population transition in the past decade.

The Dallas area is home to four ZIP codes where living in a rented apartment is what the majority of residents do. You're no longer living like Beaver Cleaver in a stately suburban home. You're more like Frasier living in his uptown apartment.

Here's a quick review of Dallas' highlights in the RentCafé report:

75233

Dallas' 75233 in Oak Cliff was the No. 10 ZIP code on the list. In that zone, the number of renters increased by 59.8 percent this past decade, jumping from 5,481 to 8,758.

75223

Overlapping with the Hollywood Hills neighborhood, 75223's renter population in East Dallas saw a similar trajectory this past decade, increasing by 59.2 percent.

75252

In southeast Plano, 75252 is south of President George Bush Turnpike and east of the University of Texas at Dallas campus.

75228

The 75228 in northeast Dallas is a pie-shaped area inside the Interstate 635 loop, north of Interstate 30 and roughly south of Garland Road.

Some Dallas ZIPs saw growth in the number of apartment dwellers, such as 75210, which had a 94 percent surge in renters. That made 75210, which includes Fair Park in South Dallas and the area to the southwest up to White Rock Creek, the 12th-fastest-growing ZIP nationwide.

Of the 24 renter-majority ZIPs in Dallas, the entire population in 75251 stay in rented apartments. 75201 and 75226 were close to total renting domination, as the share of apartment dwellers hit 88.7 percent and 88.1 percent, respectively.

Nationally, renters are more common than homeowners in 41 percent of the ZIPs in the nation’s 50 largest cities.

Of the renter majority ZIPs, 43240 in Columbus, Ohio, experienced the fastest increase in the number of renters.

San Antonio’s 78215 is the nation's top trending ZIP for renters, tripling its renter population in 10 years.

Three of the five cities that are home to the largest numbers of trending renter ZIPs are in the South, with Houston leading the way with a total of 16. Dallas and Miami follow closely with 12 ZIPs each.

So, don't be ashamed of your ZIP code. When the cashier asks, don't just blurt out "90210." Tell them your real ZIP. Chances are, you're in the majority now.

What is RentCafé: It’s a nationwide apartment search website and a part of Yardi Matrix.

Report review: For sure, this is a report made for data geeks. It has several dynamic charts that distill data from the Census. It’s a five-bunny rabbit hole. 🐇 🐇 🐇 🐇 🐇