Most multifamily communities have on-site sports amenities to provide easy access and convenience for their residents. RentCafe recently set out to examine the most preferred sports amenities as well as the markets for the most active renters.
According to its study, using data from Yardi Matrix, as many as 91% of the nation’s newly built apartment communities are fitness-friendly, touting at least one sports amenity. And the data shows this trend has accelerated dramatically since 2010.
The study finds that swimming pools edge out fitness centers as the most common fitness amenity in multifamily communities. Approximately 69% of the nation’s sports-friendly apartment communities have a pool, while only 60% have an on-site gym. The third most popular amenity is access to an on-site spa. Tennis courts, in 17% of multifamily communities, top the list of sports courts, followed by communities with basketball courts, representing 13% of apartments.
With population growth and a strong supply of newly constructed apartments, Texas cities lead the way for the highest number of rentals with access to sports amenities. According to RentCafe, Houston has the largest number of apartment rentals with on-site sports facilities, boasting 440,000 units, followed by Dallas, 233,000 units; Austin, 195,000 units; and San Antonio, 183,000 units. Rounding out the top cities having the most apartments with access to sports amenities are Atlanta and Manhattan with 158,000 units.
RentCafe also calculated the share of apartments with access to on-site fitness amenities out of the total apartments, finding six cities around the nation where all of their apartment communities have access to some type of sports amenity: Tempe and Chandler, Arizona; Katy and Frisco, Texas; Tustin, California; and Duluth, Georgia. According to RentCafe, most of the rental communities in these markets were built within the last two decades with the majority touting high-end designs and amenities that promote physical activity and wellness.
In other market analysis, Houston comes in first with the most apartments having access to swimming pools, on-site fitness centers and spas, tennis courts, and sports courts. Manhattan apartments have access to the most basketball courts, and Orlando, Florida, has the most access to racquetball and volleyball courts.
