The dress rental capitals of America

What the numbers show

• Auburn leads by a long way. Its 3,245 pieces are about one in five of the total.
• The top three are all SEC towns. Auburn, Tuscaloosa and Oxford together hold nearly 40% of the pieces.
• College towns dominate per person. Seven of the top 10 are home to a major university.
• Big cities cost more. A typical rental runs $53–$98 in Boston and $25–$35 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Game days, date parties and formals give students a lot of nights to dress for, so a campus fills up with dresses that get worn once or twice. That's where e.closet started, which is part of why college towns lead this list.

The most dresses for rent

Rank	City	Pieces listed	Typical rental price
1	Auburn, AL	3,245	$28–$50
2	Tuscaloosa, AL	1,329	$30–$55
3	Oxford, MS	1,306	$25–$45
4	Dallas, TX	832	$35–$70
5	New York, NY	632	$35–$90
6	Bronx, NY	568	$63–$144
7	Norman, OK	536	$25–$50
8	Boston, MA	504	$53–$98
9	Greenwich, CT	492	$35–$78
10	Fayetteville, AR	429	$25–$35
11	Athens, GA	397	$25–$50
12	Baton Rouge, LA	389	$20–$40
13	Fort Worth, TX	375	$27–$60
14	Atlanta, GA	367	$25–$55
15	Laurel, MS	291	$20–$35

Sellers choose their own city, so New York and the Bronx are listed separately. Together they have 1,200 pieces.

The most dresses per person

Cities with at least 100 pieces, per 1,000 residents.

Rank	City	Pieces per 1,000 residents	Pieces listed	Population (2020)
1	Oxford, MS	51.4	1,306	25,416
2	Auburn, AL	42.6	3,245	76,143
3	Laurel, MS	17.0	291	17,161
4	Tuscaloosa, AL	13.3	1,329	99,600
5	Clemson, SC	9.2	162	17,681
6	Greenwich, CT	7.7	492	63,518
7	Statesboro, GA	5.1	169	33,438
8	Fayetteville, AR	4.6	429	93,949
9	Laguna Beach, CA	4.6	105	23,032
10	Norman, OK	4.2	536	128,026

For comparison, Dallas has 0.6 per 1,000 residents, and New York City, counting the Bronx, has 0.1.

How we counted

• Listings: every live e.closet listing on November 4, 2026, in a city with its own e.closet page, using the city the seller chose. "Pieces" includes dresses and other clothing and accessories.
• Prices: the middle half of each owner's lowest rental price, as shown on each city's page.
• Population: the 2020 U.S. Census.
• What this isn't: a count of every rental in America. It covers e.closet only, and one large closet can move a small town up the list.

Using these numbers

Reporters and writers are welcome to use this data. Please link to this page so readers can see the full lists.

Frequently asked questions

Which city has the most dresses for rent on e.closet?

Auburn, Alabama, with 3,245 pieces listed as of November 4, 2026. Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Oxford, Mississippi come next.

Which city has the most dresses for rent per person?

Oxford, Mississippi, with 51.4 pieces per 1,000 residents, followed by Auburn, Alabama at 42.6.

Why do college towns have so many dresses for rent?

Students dress for game days, date parties and formals all year, often in something they'll only wear once or twice. e.closet also started on campus, so its listings lean toward college towns.

Where can I rent a dress near me?

See dress rental by city. Owners set their own prices, and many offer local pickup as well as shipping.