Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C.

Share of income used for rent: 16.5%
Average rent: $630
Median household income: $45,842
Population: 1.09 million

Greenville, about 100 miles west of Charlotte and 150 miles northeast of Atlanta, is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's the home of Michelin North America and the only BMW manufacturing plant in the U.S. Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson asking rents for apartments jumped 2.1% in the fourth quarter, compared to a year earlier.