A new report suggests that home and apartment rents are expected to drop nominally in Birmingham during 2016.

But will this expected drop be enough to offset affordability problems facing metros like Birmingham across the nation?

According to MoneyTalksNews, Birmingham is expected to see a dip of 0.4 percent on rents during 2016, appearing as one of 14 cities predicted to see rents go down for the year. Birmingham is No. 13 on the list.

The median rent grew 3.3 percent during 2015, the report said, to $1,381 per month nationwide.

Indianapolis is expected to see the biggest drop in rents, at a 3.6 percent clip, with Las Vegas at No. 2 at 1.8 percent.

A recent report by SmartAsset suggests that for most Alabama residents, given the choice between renting and buying, buying is still cheapest.

SmartAsset said the average monthly mortgage payment in Jefferson County is $494, while the average monthly rent is in excess of $1,000.