Identifying Good Rental Markets/Towns

[Wes Shaw]

Hey guys, I am a newbie looking to invest in rental properties. I live in a rural area with several small towns (1200-3000 population) within 10 miles of me. I assume most of them are good towns to invest in as they are lower income towns due to the types of jobs available. However, as opposed to assume I would like to uncover some facts to help guide me. Are their any websites out there that could help me identify which town(s) have the most renters or is there demographic information that I should be looking to use as a guide? A real estate agent told me they were unaware of any resources, but it sounded like a lazy answer to me. However in my research I haven't found much help either. Any help is appreciated?