See which cities are building the most apartments, and what it means for renters

Columbus, Ohio is issuing more permits for apartment buildings than any time since 2019, according to a July Realtor.com Renter Report. The city's "Zone In" plan, a density-friendly zoning reform, is expected to add up to 88,000 homes over the next decade. Las Vegas and Oklahoma City reported similar upticks. Birmingham, Alabama also saw a rise. National multifamily approvals are 13.1% lower than five years ago.

In high-cost cities like New York, Seattle, Austin, and Washington, D.C., permit rates hit five-year lows. Economists at Realtor.com said demand far outpaces supply in those cities. They added that New York's rent freeze on rent-stabilized units "could push market rates higher without new supply to offset it." Mayor Zohran Mamdani has pledged to build 200,000 new homes during his term.