Data shows renters’ top searches are of East Hampton, Southampton

According to data provided to us by the new, web-based Hamptons home sales and rentals tool, Out East, East Hampton has been the top-searched town for rentals in the Hamptons since Presidents Day weekend. Presidents Day typically marks the rental season shifting into full-gear, and it looks like most seasonal renters are hoping to snag an East Hampton home between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Of the towns searched on Out East for rentals, East Hampton took in 15.4 percent of the total searches. Southampton came in second, holding 8.4 percent of the searches, but Montauk has been close behind—the beach town had a tight 8.2 percent of searches.

We should mention that East Hampton and Southampton are the most popular towns on the East End—additionally, they’re the two townships that comprise the Hamptons, while all the other towns are hamlets that are part of one or the other.

However, it should also be noted that Southampton and East Hampton have a lot of qualities that make the towns good for seasonal renters. They have bustling villages with plenty of shops and restaurants, as well as relatively accessible public transportation options. Not to mention, Uber is now back in operation after a two-year hiatus in East Hampton Town.

Amagansett came in fourth as the most frequently searched town for rentals on the East End. Our Curbed Cup 2017 winner has been an up-and-coming hamlet for quite some time now, and beach lovers who prefer some peace and quiet when they come out to the Hamptons have been taking notice.

It’s great that Amagansett has been gaining some attention and becoming a more popular seasonal destination—however, the south-of-the-village beach town has the highest median rental price out of the five most frequently searched towns. If you’re looking to rent in Amagansett, the median cost is $31,300 per month.

Sag Harbor was the fifth on the list. Of the top five most frequently searched rental towns, Montauk had the lowest median asking rent of $23,300 per month, and East Hampton was close behind with a median rent of $25,000 per month.

This is based on live data, so this is likely to change as the season progresses—but we’re going to be keeping an eye on the data and revisiting this later on in the rental season.