As the spring semester begins at Mississippi State University, students across Starkville are finalizing their housing plans for the upcoming academic year. From freshmen preparing to leave residence halls to upperclassmen signing new leases, many students today are navigating a competitive off-campus rental market.

To help illustrate available housing options, a data map was created using listings from real estate websites such as Zillow and Apartments.com to help students navigate the various housing options in Starkville. The interactive tool tracks rental properties currently available within Starkville city limits and categorizes them by type.

The map groups listings into four classifications: apartment complexes, independent apartments, houses and condos.

Apartment complexes typically offer amenities such as pools, gyms and on-site maintenance. However, some charge additional fees for parking, internet or utilities.

Alternatively, independent apartments can be rented. These apartments are rented directly from a property manager or landlord rather than as part of a larger complex. Individual apartments have fewer rules than those in apartment complexes. Independent apartments also offer a stronger sense of independence while also allowing residents to save money by not renting a house or condo.

Renting a house can be more expensive, but there are unique benefits compared to renting an apartment. Residents of a house get more space both indoors and outdoors, higher privacy, and parking. However, tenants in a house often have to handle maintenance themselves rather than rely on a landlord or maintenance staff.

Condos can be seen as the best of both worlds: they are typically more spacious than apartments while offering the same benefits, such as maintenance and a convenient location. However, condos tend to be pricy and, in a city such as Starkville, hard to come by.

While condos are typically purchased through a property manager, the graphs above show only condos for rent in Starkville. This makes the line between an apartment and a condo a bit fuzzy, but the key difference comes down to how the property owner defines the property. The condos above were all classified as such by the real estate websites used to gather the data.

Each pin on the map represents a property type: orange for individual apartments, green for apartment complexes, purple for houses and blue for condos. By selecting a property, users can view listed rental prices, number of bedrooms and bathrooms and contact information for property managers.

Because rental listings change frequently, some pricing or availability may shift after publication.

The map itself displays interesting geographic trends that are insightful to the rental industry in Starkville. For example, one trend is that most rental homes are located on the city’s west side. This is likely due to Starkville’s zoning guidelines, which dictate where multi-dwelling units and suburban neighborhoods can be built.

Rental costs differ significantly depending on property type and location.

Among the lowest advertised prices was a four-bedroom, two-bathroom unfurnished unit at The Social Block listed at $424 per bedroom per month at the time of data collection.

At the higher end of the market, a three-bedroom condo on Misty Lee Lane was listed at approximately $3,000 per month. The 1,650-square-foot property is among the most expensive rentals currently advertised in Starkville.

A boxplot generated from the data compares the lowest available price for each property type. Apartment complexes generally offer the lowest entry-level prices, while condos and standalone houses tend to be higher.

The graph and the map above show the average monthly rent for each property. Note that the prices above are not per person, so larger prices would likely be split with potential roommates.

Several factors influence monthly rent, including proximity to Mississippi State University, square footage, amenities and building age. Properties closer to campus or commercial areas often command higher prices.

Broader economic forces, such as interest rates and regional housing demand, can also affect rental pricing.

As students prepare for lease renewals and new contracts, comparing property types and price ranges can help inform housing decisions for the upcoming academic year.