A majority of Duluth renters - 56 percent - spend more than thirty percent of their income on housing. While rents are inching upward, renters' incomes are shrinking. Meanwhile, home foreclosures have thrown more people into the rental market.

The University of St. Thomas surveyed industry leaders about their expectations for vacancy rates, rents, and other conditions. Compared to six months ago, the responses were downgraded from “slightly optimistic” to neutral.

Renting outside Minneapolis and St. Paul has largely been limited to housing built decades ago, but experts say the suburbs are ripe for a new wave of apartment development. It's a trend driven by a fundamental shift in attitudes toward renting plus a growing appetite housing with urban perks.

With a nearly 50 percent increase in building permits, the construction industry in the Fargo-Moorhead area is having its best year since 2007, according to information released by the Fargo Moorhead Home Builders Association. The Forum reports new housing starts are also up more than 90 percent. The association's president attributes the increase to record low interest rates and more people moving to the F-M area from the hectic oil fields of western North Dakota.