Student Housing Pre-Leased At 91%

Pre-leasing hit a record 91% in July, marking another month of solid leasing performance ahead of the Fall 2026 academic year. In the past decade, pre-leasing has averaged 87.8% in July and came close to the 91% mark in Fall 2025 and Fall 2022.

The core 175 universities saw even more progress, with 91.4% pre-leased as of July.

Properties located closest to campus continued to hold a modest advantage in July, though all distance categories are showing strength. Communities located within a half mile of campus reached 91.3% pre-leased in July, while properties between a half mile and one mile from campus were 90.6% pre-leased. Communities located more than one mile from campus recorded 90.5% pre-leased in July. The narrow spread among the three distance segments indicates that demand remains broad-based, with students continuing to absorb available inventory regardless of proximity to campus.

Source: RealPage

LinkedIn’s 2026 Cities On The Rise

Cities on the Rise offers a data-driven view of where economic momentum is accelerating outside of major hubs across the U.S. The ranking uses LinkedIn data to track growth in where professionals are getting hired, jobs are being posted and new talent is building their careers. uncovering areas of opportunity and the trends driving it.

  1. Augusta, GA
  2. Richmond, VA
  3. Reno, NV
  4. North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
  5. Harrisburg, PA
  6. Charleston, SC
  7. Pensacola, FL
  8. Austin, TX
  9. Portland, ME
  10. Tulsa, OK
  11. Lancaster, PA
  12. Albany, NY
  13. Portland, OR
  14. Indianapolis, IN
  15. Charlotte, NC
  16. Myrtle Beach, SC
  17. Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
  18. Fort Wayne, IN
  19. Sacramento, CA
  20. Little Rock, AR
  21. Salt Lake City, UT
  22. Wilmington, NC
  23. Louisville, KY
  24. Milwaukee, WI
  25. Grand Rapids, MI

Source: LinkedIn