As apartment developments find new takers in the suburban areas of the largest US metros and regional transit connectivity continues to improve, more small building households are beginning to give up cars.

The commute choice of apartment renters appears to be at a tipping point — more recent suburban renters are ditching their cars for rides on the train or bus.

While Internet access makes steady inroads in small apartment buildings, renter preference for faster connectivity is shifting access to newer technologies.

As Millennials age, their preference for rental accommodations continues to diversify across apartment types, with small apartment buildings now positioned to cater more to the youngest renters in this cohort.

Autonomous vehicle (AV) and ride-share technology have the potential to fundamentally alter the relationship between work and housing locations. But what does today’s commute look like for apartment renters?

While a larger share of small building households own vehicles, growth in ownership was slower compared to large buildings for the post-crisis period.

While a growing number of cities are eliminating parking minimums, the price of parking access within apartment properties is still reflected in higher unit rents across US metros. This is especially true for in-structure parking offerings.

In this post, we examine the income needed to rent affordably in small apartment buildings across the US. 

While single renters constitute close to half of the demand within small apartment units, their growth has been faster in larger buildings, where preferences by both age and gender play a significant role.

Though a clear majority of senior householders in apartments do not work, delayed retirement has become a rising trend. Since the financial crisis, this trend has created a growing demand segment for small apartment building owners.