Find out what percentage of your income goes toward rent, whether you fall within the HUD 30% threshold, and how much rent you can truly afford based on your income.
Enter your income and rent above, then click Calculate Rent Burden to see your results.
These examples use the same formula as the calculator above. Check your understanding of the 30% rule.
Annual Income: $50,000
Monthly Income: $4,167 ($50,000 ÷ 12)
Monthly Rent: $1,500
Rent Burden: ($1,500 ÷ $4,167) × 100 = 36%
Affordable Rent (30% Rule): $4,167 × 0.30 = $1,250/month
Annual Income: $80,000
Monthly Income: $6,667 ($80,000 ÷ 12)
Monthly Rent: $1,800
Rent Burden: ($1,800 ÷ $6,667) × 100 = 27%
Affordable Rent (30% Rule): $6,667 × 0.30 = $2,000/month
Annual Income: $35,000
Monthly Income: $2,917 ($35,000 ÷ 12)
Monthly Rent: $1,600
Rent Burden: ($1,600 ÷ $2,917) × 100 = 54.9%
Affordable Rent (30% Rule): $2,917 × 0.30 = $875/month
Step-by-step guide to understanding rent affordability, whether you're a first-time renter or relocating to a new city.
Rent Burden % = (Monthly Rent ÷ Monthly Gross Income) × 100
Affordable Rent = Gross Monthly Income × 0.30
Income Needed = Monthly Rent ÷ 0.30
See your exact rent-to-income ratio with one click, color-coded by affordability level.
Compare your rent burden against averages for NYC, SF, Austin, Miami, and more.
Built-in HUD affordability guidelines with automatic burden classification.
See exactly how much income you need to afford any rent at the 30% threshold.
Rent burden — also called housing cost burden — measures the percentage of your gross (pre-tax) monthly income that goes toward paying rent. It is the most widely used indicator of housing affordability in the United States and is the standard metric used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Census Bureau, and academic researchers studying housing policy.
HUD defines two key thresholds. A household is considered rent-burdened when it spends more than 30% of its gross monthly income on rent. A household is considered severely rent-burdened when it spends more than 50%. These thresholds were established based on decades of research showing that households spending more than 30% on housing tend to have insufficient income left for other necessities such as food, transportation, healthcare, and savings.
According to the latest American Community Survey data, roughly half of all renter households in the United States are rent-burdened. The national average rent burden sits at approximately 30.2%, meaning the typical American renter is right at the edge of the affordability threshold. This figure has risen steadily over the past two decades as rent growth has consistently outpaced wage growth in most major metropolitan areas.
Rent burden is not distributed evenly across income levels. Low-income renters — those earning below 80% of their area's median income — face the highest burden rates, with many spending upwards of 50-60% of their income on housing. By contrast, high-income renters (those earning above 120% of area median income) rarely exceed the 30% threshold. Understanding your personal rent burden is the first step toward making informed housing decisions, whether you're signing a new lease or evaluating your current situation.
The 30% of income standard for housing costs has a long history. It originated in the Brooke Amendment to the Housing Act of 1969, which capped public housing rent at 25% of a tenant's income. This was later raised to 30% in the early 1980s under the Reagan administration, and the 30% standard has since been adopted as the official affordability benchmark by HUD, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and most mortgage lenders.
Today, the 30% rule serves multiple purposes. For renters, it provides a simple, actionable guideline: if your gross monthly income is $5,000, you should aim to spend no more than $1,500 on rent. For landlords and property managers, it is a common underwriting standard — many require tenants to have a gross income of at least 2.5 to 3 times the monthly rent. For policymakers, the 30% threshold is used to determine eligibility for housing assistance programs like Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) and to measure the scope of the nation's housing affordability crisis.
Important caveats to the 30% rule:
Despite these limitations, the 30% rule remains the most practical and widely recognized starting point for evaluating rent affordability. Use it as a baseline, then adjust based on your specific financial picture.
Rent burden varies dramatically across U.S. cities due to differences in median rent, median income, and local housing market conditions. The table below shows estimated average rent burden percentages for major U.S. metropolitan areas based on 2025-2026 data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey and rental market reports from Zillow and Apartment List.
| City / Metro Area | Median Rent (2026 Est.) | Median Income | Rent Burden | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | $2,100 | $71,000 | ~35% | Rent-Burdened |
| Los Angeles, CA | $2,200 | $80,000 | ~33% | Rent-Burdened |
| New York City, NY | $2,150 | $81,000 | ~32% | Rent-Burdened |
| San Francisco, CA | $2,650 | $106,000 | ~30% | Borderline |
| Boston, MA | $2,300 | $92,000 | ~30% | Borderline |
| Washington, DC | $2,200 | $90,000 | ~29% | Affordable |
| Seattle, WA | $2,100 | $87,000 | ~29% | Affordable |
| Chicago, IL | $1,600 | $68,000 | ~28% | Affordable |
| Denver, CO | $1,850 | ~27% | Affordable | |
| Austin, TX | $1,550 | $75,000 | ~25% | Affordable |
| US National Average | $1,700 | $67,500 | ~30.2% | Borderline |
Note: Figures are approximate and based on 2025-2026 estimates from ACS, Zillow Observed Rent Index, and Apartment List National Rent Report. Actual rent burden depends on specific neighborhood, unit size, and individual income.
What stands out is that high rent burden does not always correlate with the most expensive cities. Miami leads the nation at ~35% rent burden despite having lower median rents than San Francisco or Los Angeles, because its median income is significantly lower. Conversely, San Francisco's extremely high median income ($106,000) keeps its average rent burden at about 30%, despite having the highest median rent in the country at $2,650/month.
Cities in the Midwest and South generally offer better affordability. Chicago (28%), Austin (25%), and Denver (27%) all fall below the 30% burden threshold for the average renter. However, these averages mask significant disparities within each city — lower-income renters in even the most affordable cities often face severe cost burdens.
The 30% rule states that you should spend no more than 30% of your gross monthly income on housing costs, including rent or mortgage payments. This standard was established by HUD based on the Brooke Amendment of 1969 and is the most widely used benchmark for housing affordability in the United States. If your rent exceeds 30% of your monthly income, you are considered rent-burdened and may struggle to afford other necessities.
Rent burden is calculated by dividing your monthly rent by your gross monthly income, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage. For example, if you earn $5,000 per month and pay $1,500 in rent, your rent burden is ($1,500 ÷ $5,000) × 100 = 30%. If the result is above 30%, you are rent-burdened. Above 50%, you are severely rent-burdened according to HUD classifications.
Being severely rent-burdened means you spend more than 50% of your gross monthly income on rent. HUD considers this a critical housing affordability problem because it leaves very little income for other essential needs like food, healthcare, transportation, childcare, and savings. Severely cost-burdened households are at higher risk of eviction, housing instability, homelessness, and material hardship. As of 2026, roughly one in four renter households in the United States is severely rent-burdened.
An affordable rent is one that does not exceed 30% of your gross monthly income. To find your maximum affordable rent, multiply your monthly gross income by 0.30. For example, if your annual income is $60,000 ($5,000/month), your affordable rent ceiling is $5,000 × 0.30 = $1,500/month. If you want to find the income needed to afford a specific rent, divide the monthly rent by 0.30. For a $2,000 rent, you would need $2,000 ÷ 0.30 = $6,667/month ($80,000/year).
According to 2025-2026 data, Miami, FL has the highest average rent burden among major US cities at approximately 35%, followed by Los Angeles at ~33% and New York City at ~32%. Miami's high burden is driven by a combination of above-average rents and below-average median income compared to other coastal cities. By contrast, Austin (25%), Denver (27%), and Chicago (28%) have the lowest rent burdens among major metros. The US national average rent burden sits at approximately 30.2%, just above the affordability threshold.
This calculator provides estimates based on your gross income and the HUD 30% guideline. It does not account for taxes, debt payments, utilities, or other housing-related costs. For a complete financial assessment, consult with a qualified financial advisor or housing counselor. The 30% rule is a general guideline and may not be appropriate for all financial situations.