Our Carrie Bradshaw index: where Americans can afford to live solo in 2024

GOOD NEWS is rare for renters—dealing with elusive landlords, fretting about damage and deposits and getting slammed with sudden price increases are more usual. But in America, at least in some cities, there are some positive developments. Now in its second year, our “Carrie Bradshaw index” ranks 100 of the country’s major urban centres by their affordability for people who want to live alone (just as its namesake does in “Sex and the City”, a hit TV series). We find that, compared with last year, the economics of living solo have become more manageable.