Key Takeaways
- Contemporary Information Corp provides housing and criminal public records data to support informed decision-making in the rental housing industry.
- Emerging multifamily markets in 2024 showed uneven growth but continued expansion, especially in Sun Belt and select Midwest regions.
- Tucson, White Plains, Madison, Central East Texas, and Knoxville ranked among the top five emerging multifamily markets.
- Key performance indicators across these markets included employment growth, occupancy rates, construction pipelines, and investment activity.
- Reliable data and compliant screening processes are increasingly important as housing providers operate in fast-changing regional markets.
Contemporary Information Corp is a Duluth, Georgia-based provider of housing and criminal public records that supports informed decision-making across the rental housing industry. Founded in 1986, Contemporary Information Corp serves resellers, landlords, property managers, and other housing professionals with access to extensive housing court and criminal record data, refined through proprietary matching and regulatory compliance tools. The company emphasizes accuracy, legal compliance, and responsible data use, operating under Fair Credit Reporting Act standards and maintaining memberships in professional associations such as the National Consumer Reporting Association.
Through decades of engagement with rental housing stakeholders nationwide, Contemporary Information Corp maintains visibility into regional housing trends that affect tenant demand, occupancy, and investment activity. These market dynamics are especially relevant when evaluating emerging multifamily markets, where population growth, employment trends, and construction pipelines influence screening needs and operational planning. By supporting housing providers with reliable data, Contemporary Information Corp operates at the intersection of market analysis and practical risk management within evolving multifamily environments.
Emerging Multifamily Markets in America
America’s multifamily sector grew steadily throughout 2024 despite facing several challenges. The steady growth enabled several emerging markets to develop in the face of these challenges, though growth and development varied considerably across regions of the country. Each of the nation’s top 10 emerging markets came from a different state, though most of America’s fastest-growing multifamily markets hail from the Sub Belt.
Tucson, Arizona, led the country’s emerging markets, though it is the only city from the western region. The University of Arizona serves as the metro’s primary economic engine, attracting business leaders of all stripes. Like many of the nation’s emerging markets in 2024, Tucson experienced only moderate employment growth, rising just 0.7 percent from 2023, about half the national average of 1.3 percent. The occupancy rate stabilized after a 1.2 percent drop between 2022 and 2023, closing the year at about 92 percent, the lowest among the top 10 emerging markets. Investment activity by price-per-unit growth and value ranked second overall.
White Plains, New York, followed Tucson as America’s second-best performing emerging market in 2024. White Plains has performed admirably in recent years, thanks in part to runoff from nearby New York City. The region ranked fourth among emerging markets in 2023. White Plains edged out the national average for employment growth at 1.4 percent. The market’s 97 percent occupancy rate is tight, though it boasts the list’s most robust construction pipeline, with 6,885 units under construction in December 2024.
Madison, Wisconsin, ranked third among emerging markets, having ranked No. 1 in 2023. The market performed well but experienced a very minor decline in job growth and the largest year-over-year decline in occupancy rate. The metro saw only $72 million in multifamily asset investments, while the price per unit increased by 38.6 percent, far above the national rate of 3.3 percent. However, Madison multifamily units average $154,100, much more affordable than the national average of $193,187.
The Central East Texas region ranked fourth among America’s emerging multifamily markets in 2024. The region spans from Dallas-Fort Worth to Austin, including Temple, College Station, and Waco. The entire region has demonstrated strong growth in multifamily fundamentals in recent years. In 2024, the region’s employment market grew by 1.6 percent, comparable to Dallas and Austin and higher than the national average. The occupancy rate fell by a single percentage point to 93 percent. Multifamily investment activity in Central East Texas was middling throughout 2024, with investment volume of $145 million and price-per-unit growth of 55.1 percent.
Knoxville, Tennessee, rounded out the top five emerging markets. The market has continued to climb the emerging markets rankings, up from No. 8 in 2023 and No. 9 in 2022. Employment growth has played a key role in the market’s rise, up 1.8 percent in 2024, the second-highest increase among the top 10. The occupancy rate stabilized at 96 percent.
The nation’s top 10 emerging multifamily markets in 2024 also included Lexington, Kentucky; North Central Florida; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbus, Georgia; and Lafayette, Indiana. Lafayette made its first appearance on the list and is the smallest emerging market. It was one of several midwestern markets that posted strong performance in 2025 and is poised for further growth in the coming years.
FAQs
What does Contemporary Information Corp do?
Contemporary Information Corp is a Georgia-based provider of housing court and criminal public records. It supports landlords, property managers, and screening professionals with compliant, accurate data for tenant screening and risk management.
What are emerging multifamily markets?
Emerging multifamily markets are cities or regions showing strong or improving fundamentals such as population growth, employment gains, rising investment activity, and healthy occupancy levels, even if they are smaller or less established than major metros.
Which markets led the rankings in 2024?
Tucson, Arizona ranked first, followed by White Plains, New York; Madison, Wisconsin; Central East Texas; and Knoxville, Tennessee. Other top markets included Lexington, North Central Florida, Columbia, Columbus, and Lafayette.
What factors determine the strength of a multifamily market?
Common indicators include job growth, occupancy rates, construction pipelines, price-per-unit trends, and overall investment volume. Together, these metrics reflect both demand for rental housing and investor confidence.
Why is accurate data important in emerging housing markets?
In fast-changing markets, housing providers face higher uncertainty and operational risk. Accurate, compliant data helps support better tenant screening decisions, protect property owners, and maintain stable rental operations.
About Contemporary Information Corp
Contemporary Information Corp is a Duluth, Georgia-based provider of housing and criminal public records, serving the rental housing, insurance, and screening industries since 1986. The company maintains extensive databases of housing court and criminal records and applies proprietary matching and regulatory filtering tools to support accuracy and compliance. Contemporary Information Corp operates under Fair Credit Reporting Act standards and maintains active involvement in industry and community organizations.
