If you’re looking to relocate to an American city sporting one of Major League Baseball’s 30 franchises, you’ll find a wide variation in average prices for a one-bedroom apartment.
So where are the most affordable and most expensive apartments home run-distance from center field around the country? From the baseball-crazy plains of the Midwest to the vocal fandoms of the coasts, here is every city in the majors, ranked from most affordable for baseball fans to the most pricey. Play ball!
1. Kansas City, MO
At the center of a growing metropolitan area with same-named cities on either side of State Line Road, Kansas City – the Missouri side – is home to Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Royals. At $789 for an average one bedroom apartment, the city that made George Brett and Mike Sweeney all-stars is the most affordable for renters in Major League Baseball. The City of Fountains is a UNESCO World “City of Music,” the only city in the U.S. with that designation, and features Country Club Plaza, an upscale outdoor shopping district considered by many to be the first modern shopping center.
2. Arlington, TX
With Dallas to the east and Fort Worth to the west, Arlington, is the perfect central location for Globe Life Park (and the new Globe Life Field), home base of the Texas Rangers. Despite being wedged between two of the biggest cities in the U.S., Arlington has its own personality, much of it as home to the Rangers in addition to the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Wings of the WNBA and Six Flags over Texas, the original Six Flags theme park.
With an average one-bedroom renting for $932 a month, Arlington might be the perfect Metroplex midpoint for you as well.
3. Phoenix, AZ
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Despite its rise to quickly become one of the top five largest cities in the nation, Phoenix — home to the Arizona Diamondbacks — remains relatively affordable, with a one-bedroom rental going for just $1,028 per month on average. The Diamondbacks are baseball’s newest franchise, christened in 1998, but have already racked up a fine history in the Valley of the Sun, with five division titles and a World Championship under their belt.
Be sure to stay cool when taking in a D’backs game at Chase Field, as Phoenix is the hottest city in the Majors, with summer averages nearing 100 degrees.
4. Cincinnati, OH
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The Cincinnati Red Stockings, the precursor to the modern-day Cincinnati Reds, formed in 1866 as the first all-professional baseball team in America, making the Reds baseball’s oldest franchise. At the time, Cincinnati was the seventh largest city in the U.S., so baseball and the economy flourished.
Even now as a post-war, midsized Ohio city, The Queen City remains affordable to even the casual fan, with a one-bedroom apartment coming in on average of $1,029 rent per month.
5. Detroit, MI
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Much like the Detroit Tigers themselves, the city of Detroit has seen boom times as well as the rough patches it’s experienced recently. But over the last decade, Detroit has quietly become one of the most culturally resurgent cities in America, filled with art and music and new restaurants, and its huge population decline is finally starting to plateau … despite the recent departures of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
Even with this revival, rents are still falling, and you can find a one-bedroom apartment in Motown for an average of $1,160.
6. St. Petersburg, FL
Baseball’s other newest team, the Tampa Bay Rays play just across the Bay from Tampa in beautiful St. Petersburg. First christened the Devil Rays, the team only recently passed its 20th birthday but claims four postseason appearances and a World Series birth. It’s central location and proximity to the best Gulf beaches have been a beacon to snowbird Northerners and an influx of resettlers from Houston and Puerto Rico, bolstering its cache and economy.
Rentals remain affordable, with a one-bedroom rental running at $1,160 monthly on average in St. Petersburg.
7. St. Louis, MO
For most of its early history, the St. Louis Cardinals were baseball’s frontier, the westernmost team in America for the first 50 years of the 20th century. The city of St. Louis is the unofficial capital of the Mississippi River Basin, with a diverse population of immigrants, farmers, industrial workers, evangelists, sports fans, hipsters and beermakers. With eleven World Series titles to its name — the most of any franchise in the National League — St. Louis is a city of winners from Stan Musial and Bob Gibson to Ozzie Smith and Albert Pujols, yet remains a nice version of Midwest affordable.
For just $1,164 a month, you can grab an average one-bedroom rental in one of baseball’s oldest cities.
8. Houston, TX
Gone are the days of Nolan Ryan, The Astrodome, Tequila Sunrise jerseys and being in the National League, but the Houston Astros are once again one of the premier franchises in all of baseball. Houston is one of the five biggest cities in the nation — the metro area gained a million new residents from 2000 to 2016, many in 2005 as Hurricane Katrina refugees. But growth has leveled off significantly since, due to the oil recession and Houston’s own disaster, Hurricane Harvey, and that housing and rental glut has kept lease pricing low.
In fact, just $1,197 a month will get you an average one-bedroom apartment in H-town.
Related: Which Houston Neighborhood Should You Live In?
9. Pittsburgh, PA
Clad in the familiar Pittsburgh black and gold, the Pirates are one of baseball’s most underappreciated franchises, with nine National League pennants and five World Championships to their name. Some of the biggest names in baseball have worn the old-English “P,” including Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner and Willie Stargell. While Pittsburgh has finally begun to shed its reputation as a smoggy steel town in favor of gleaming glass and tech, residents are still industrial blue-collar down-and-dirty hard hats at heart.
An average monthly lease of $1,290 will snag you a one-bedroom rental in one of America’s newest most-livable cities.
10. Milwaukee, WI
While the Astros flipped its National League affiliation to the American, it’s the Brewers that, in 1998, switched allegiances from the Junior Circuit over to the Senior. The Brewers’ rich tradition in Milwaukee has long been tied to the city’s beer brewing history, from Miller Park to mascot Bernie Brewer’s giant celebratory beer mug. But while the city has expanded its cache to industries like financial services and tech manufacturing, its roots will always be brewed in beer.
From past stars like Rollie Fingers and Paul Molitor to today’s MVP superstar Christian Yelich, many have made Milwaukee their unassuming home, which you can as well, with an average one-bedroom apartment leasing for $1,292 a month.
11. Cleveland, OH
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In 1989, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen and Tom Berenger used the ludicrous idea that the Cleveland Indians could ever be good enough to win a World Series as a punchline in the film “Major League.” But despite a much-improved on-field product with stars like Francisco Lindor and Corey Kluber, that Championship drought reached seven decades without a title in 2018. Hopefully the now Chief Wahoo-less Indians won’t have to wait another 70 years for a title, so maybe this is the time to shack up in Cleveland.
A one-bedroom unit in the city that’s no longer “The Mistake by the Lake” runs an average of $1,320.
12. Baltimore, MD
When Baltimore’s Camden Yards was constructed out of an old rail yard in 1993, the Orioles ushered in the new age of beloved retro-style ballparks as many others followed. That revitalization led to a rebirth of Baltimore tourism, and a boon for neighborhoods like Fells Point, Little Italy and, of course, the Inner Harbor. Though the team has had mixed fortunes in the Camden Yards era, Baltimore has continued its resurgence, from a new foodie culture to “The Wire” tours.
One of the most affordable towns in the Bos-Wash northeast corridor, an average one-bedroom in Charm City will cost you $1,400 a month.
13. Atlanta, GA
Photo courtesy of Brian Carberry
With 16 division titles since 1991, the Atlanta Braves have been one of the most successful franchises of the last three decades. And that enthusiasm has allowed Atlanta to enjoy not one but two new stadiums, moving from Turner Field (built for the 1996 Summer Olympics) to the brand new SunTrust Park in 2017. The team’s large southeastern footprint — thanks in large part to national television coverage on TBS for decades — has spread the brand of Atlanta and its signature hometown companies from Coca-Cola to CNN as a modern-day southern metropolis.
For just an average of $1,494 a month, you can find a one-bedroom apartment, probably on a street named Peachtree somewhere.
Related: Which Atlanta Neighborhood Should You Live In?
14. Minneapolis, MN
While the Minnesota Twins spread their baseball love equally across the Mississippi River to St. Paul, the city of Minneapolis has been the physical home of the Twinkies since 1982. While baseball fans are well-familiar with some of the Twins’ most colorful purple-clad characters like Kirby Puckett and Harmon Killebrew, Minneapolis is probably most famously known for its legendary music scene, as the launching pad for artists like Prince and Bob Dylan and as the corporate home to Target.
If you can brave the Twin Cities’ cold winters to get to its comfortable, baseball-filled summers, you can snag a one-bedroom rental in the City of Lakes for an average of $1,501 per month.
15. Denver, CO
Major League Baseball has been played a mile up since 1993, and in those few decades, the city of Denver has fallen in love with its Rockies. From the clean, fresh air to the team’s namesake Rocky Mountains just next door with all of its outdoor, hiking, skiing and climbing adventure and the state’s new forays into pot tourism, Denver finds itself one of the nation’s top “I’d love to live there someday” cities.
With a one-bedroom apartment coming in at an average of $1,755 a month, you should consider your someday to be now.
Related: Which Denver Neighborhood Should You Live in?
16. Anaheim, CA
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While they indeed share a city name with the team down in Chavez Ravine, the Los Angeles Angels reside in Anaheim, a long 30 miles down I-5 from the men in Dodger blue. The Angels have long struggled to reconcile their L.A. footprint with their actual location in sunny Orange County. But Anaheim couldn’t be a better place to live, with Disneyland just 10 minutes away from “The Big A,” and Honda Center, home of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, just next door.
While Mike Trout agrees there’s no place like Anaheim — with his contract that will keep him in town for a dozen years — you don’t have to pull down his kinda cash to shack up there yourself. A one-bedroom monthly lease comes in at $1,861 on average.
17. Philadelphia, PA
Speaking of sticking around a while, newly-minted Phillies star Bryce Harper decided to make Philadelphia his home for the next 13 years with a freshly-signed contract. Maybe it’s the boisterous but passionate Philly fans or the ever-present cheesesteaks, hoagies and soft pretzels (or hoping to become BFFs with the Phillie Phanatic), but Bryce seems to think Philly is the place to be. With an Eagles Super Bowl aura still present and a bright Phillies future, Philadelphia is certainly a city which has overcome its underdog Rocky persona.
You too can make the City of Brotherly Love your home with just $1,864 a month on average rent for a one-bedroom, more affordable than seaboard-mates New York, D.C. and Boston.
Related: The Best Philadelphia Neighborhoods for Sports Fans
18. Miami, FL
Despite two World Championships in their less than 30-year history, Miami hasn’t really become much of a baseball town. Maybe it’s the stellar beaches (and beach bodies) and world-class nightlife that’s taking all the attention, but the Marlins have been secondary citizens in town for most of their existence. But what that means to the South Florida baseball fan is that seats for Marlins games come cheap, which is great when star-powered teams in the division like the Phillies, Mets, Braves and Nats come to town.
You’ll have plenty of cash left over for tickets with an average Miami one-bedroom flat going for $1,899 a month.
Related: Which Miami Neighborhood Should You Live In?
19. Chicago, IL
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Every summer is twice the fun in Chicago with games happening nearly every day on either the South Side or in Wrigleyville. But with just two World Series titles in the last combined 200 years for the Cubs and White Sox, it’s been more about the experience than the winning in the Windy City. Fortunately, there are very few better places in America to see a game, with the choice between a day hanging with the “bleacher bums” in Wrigleyville or a nightcap with South Siders in Armour Square.
With attractions like Navy Pier, the Field Museum and the Magnificent Mile, there’s no lack of things to do, but when you snag a one-bedroom Chicago apartment for an average of $1,928 a month, you’ll be required to declare a Sox or Cubbies allegiance.
Related: Which Chicago Neighborhood Should You Live In?
20. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
When the Montréal Expos moved to Washington in 2005, the Blue Jays went from being Toronto’s hometown team to all of Canada’s. And it was Joe Carter’s walk-off dinger in the 1993 World Series that went down as the most dramatic home run in Fall Classic history. But it’s only fitting that Toronto was the site of the first baseball title outside of the U.S., as it is known as the most multicultural city in the world, with about half its population being born outside Canada.
With a very volatile economy north of the border, rents can fluctuate wildly, which currently sit at an average of $2,143 per month for a one-bedroom.
21. Seattle, WA
As the northernmost franchise in baseball (yes, even more than Toronto) and the second westernmost, no team logs as many miles over a season as the Seattle Mariners. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the M’s haven’t played in a single World Series over their four decades of existence in Seattle, despite superstars like Ichiro, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Gaylord Perry suiting up.
The Mariners are still an annual summer topic of passionate discussion among patrons of Pike Place Market, airship builders at Boeing and A&R reps at Sub Pop Music regardless of record, all of whom would pay a monthly average of $2,168 for a one bedroom in the Emerald City.
Related: Which Seattle Neighborhood Should You Live In?
22. San Diego, CA
The notion that every day in San Diego is 72 degrees and sunny is not far from the truth. In fact, not only does San Diego have the best climate in baseball, but in all of the continental U.S., so there’s nothing like a day at the Petco Park to catch the Padres. After losing the Chargers, Clippers and Rockets to other cities, San Diego became the largest city in the nation with only one major pro sports franchise, which only increases its baseball-town cache.
As a big tourist, snowbird and military town, apartments are in high demand, leading to a pricey average rent of $2,339 for a one bedroom unit.
23. Washington D.C.
The Nationals are Washington’s third major league team, with the original Senators becoming the Minnesota Twins and the expansion Senators bolting for Texas to become the Rangers. But this time around, expectations and excitement are high, and the former Montréal Expos have established themselves as purely D.C. As a new post-Bryce Harper era is starting in Washington, with a strong lineup remaining and stellar pitching staff, the crowds should be raucous at Nationals Park.
After the game, hometown fans spread back out to their apartments around the District, where a transient and upscale populace keeps rents high, with a one-bedroom averaging $2,463 a month.
Related: Which Washington D.C. Neighborhood Should You Live In?
24. Los Angeles, CA
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The cliché of Dodgers fans is that they arrive at the game in the third inning because of traffic and leave in the seventh to beat the traffic. But the truth is a day at Dodger Stadium, the third oldest in the majors, in the Chavez Ravine canyon of north Los Angeles is just about the best you can spend in baseball. The Dodgers found success as the first West Coast team, with five championships since leaving Brooklyn, featuring Hall of Famers like Sandy Koufax and Mike Piazza and today’s stars including Justin Turner, Russell Martin and Kenley Jansen.
Take off at the seventh-inning stretch or after the final out, you’ll travel the freeways of Los Angeles back to your one-bedroom apartment, which averages a costly $2,728 monthly — $867 more than the units down in Anaheim.
Related: Which Los Angeles Neighborhood Should You Live In?
25. Boston, MA
The city of Boston has enjoyed a ridiculous 11 pro sports championships this millennium, including four by the formerly-cursed Red Sox. In 2004, the Sox broke through for the first time since 1918, putting away ghosts of Bill Buckner, Aaron Boone and Bucky Dent forever. The gorgeous Fenway Park, where the home runs fall on Lansdowne Street, is the oldest stadium in the American League, having opened in 1912. Here is where legends of the game including Ted Williams, Carl Yaztremski, Wade Boggs, David Ortiz and Babe Ruth circled the bases for the home team.
From the Back Bay to Southie to Beacon Hill, Boston is an expensive town, with the second-highest rents for a one-bedroom apartment on the East Coast — $3,261 a month on average.
Related: Which Boston Neighborhood Should You Live In?
26. Oakland, CA
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Just the third-largest city in the Bay Area (behind San José and San Francisco), Oakland has been home to the Athletics since 1968 after moving from Philadelphia by way of Kansas City. Often playing second fiddle to the Giants across the Bay, the A’s have had continual eras of success in the ’70s with Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter, the ’80s and ’90s behind Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley and the 2000s with Miguel Tejada and Barry Zito.
Rising above its past reputation as a high-crime afterthought, Oakland has emerged from the shadows of its larger neighbors to claim its own trendy identity. But with a new attitude and new economy comes a hike in residential living prices, with an average one-bedroom apartment renting for $3,267 per month.
27. San Francisco, CA
When the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants escaped to California for the 1958 season, they thankfully took their long-time rivalry with them. In the succeeding six decades, the Giants have enjoyed rousing success, finally bringing a World Series title to San Francisco in 2010, then again in 2012 and 2014. Since the turn of the millennium, the Giants have inhabited beautiful Oracle Park (formerly Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park and AT&T Park) in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. The stadium is nearby several Bay area landmarks including the Bay Bridge, the Museum of Modern Art and the new home of the Golden State Warriors.
If you want to rent a one-bedroom apartment in The City by the Bay, be ready to shell out $3,804 a month, the highest rate on the West Coast.
28. New York, NY
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Yankee Stadium is a mere three miles due northeast of Midtown and Citi Field is just seven to the east, but their The Bronx and Flushing locales are a world away from Manhattan’s skyscrapers. With a ridiculous 27 World Series titles and a seemingly bottomless payroll, the cache of Yankees from Ruth and Mantle to Rivera and Judge certainly feels more Uptown than outer borough, while the Mets’ legends of The Amazin’s and Loveable Losers up through the era of Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom scream working-class Queens.
As different as these two franchises that share a city seem, fans of both teams mingle (and cajole) throughout the five boroughs of New York. While Brooklyn and Queens are bigger and The Bronx is just about the same size, it’s the sky-high rents in Manhattan that bring the price of a one-bedroom to an astronomical city-wide average of $4,258 a month for all of New York.
