Manchester, Bristol and London emerge as the strongest markets for rental demand, according to PriceHubble’s latest City Ranking Model.
The index combines economic, demographic and housing-market indicators to assess the prospects for rental demand across the UK’s 60 largest cities and towns.
While several cities continue to feature consistently in the top ten, this latest ranking also sees new entrants, notably Aldershot, Newcastle and Norwich, signalling an acceleration of factors driving demand beyond the usual high-profile urban centres.
The model’s ‘Jobs and Local Economy’ pillar, capturing metrics such as employment growth and the concentration of knowledge-based industries, places Edinburgh, Bristol and York at the top.
Meanwhile, the ‘Enterprise and Innovation’ segment, which gauges longer-term economic vitality through indicators such as the expansion of growth sectors including technology, is led by London, Edinburgh and Cambridge.
Demographic trends also play a decisive role. Cities with faster population growth and a higher share of younger residents (who are more likely to rent) score particularly well, with Cardiff, Luton and Coventry ranking highly on this measure.
Affordability and renter earnings are incorporated to reflect the dampening effect that high housing costs can have on future demand and rental growth. In more expensive markets, stronger renter incomes can partially offset these pressures, so the model also assesses affordability versus each city’s typical level.
Following a wave of economic and data releases in early 2026, the model now incorporates the most up-to-date information available, offering a timely snapshot of shifting rental demand and highlighting how economic and housing dynamics continue to evolve across the country. Source: Dataloft by PriceHubble, January 2026. Cities are defined as primary urban areas.