Mapped: Where are Southern California’s apartment bargains?

Seeking a Southern California rental bargain typically means a residence with no coastal breezes.

My trusty spreadsheet reviewed apartment data from RentCafe, tracking the average rent and apartment size in complexes with 50 or more units. The study looked at 200 big U.S. cities as of March and included 28 markets in Southern California.

To measure value, the cost to rent per square foot was calculated for each local spot. That math clearly tells you that apartment shopping is mainly about location.

Contemplate that the average apartment in Southern California’s 10 bargain cities costs $2.48 per square foot. In the 10 most expensive spots, however, it’s $3.30. That’s a 25% savings.

That gap does not include renters making any concessions on the size of their rental. Apartments in the c