Homes* occupied by renters: 81.8 percent
Total occupied homes: 21,583
U.S. average: 34.1 percent

Union City, across the Hudson River from Manhattan, is a city of renters. While most housing there is in multifamily structures, those who want to buy will find that homes are cheap compared with New York City. The median home value is $257,400, according to November 2010 data from Zillow.com.

(*Note: "Homes" refers occupied housing units, which include houses, apartments, mobile homes, a group of rooms, or single rooms, according to the U.S. Census Bureau definition.)

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009. Only includes places with populations of 65,000 or more.