See How Much Rent Eats Your Paycheck

About half of US renters now spend more than 30% of income on housing, the line HUD uses to call a household cost-burdened. Roughly a quarter cross 50%, which HUD calls severely burdened. Those aren't small groups. They're the majority-or-near-majority of renters in plenty of metros. This rent to income calculator puts a single city on that scale: it shows what percentage of your gross income goes to housing anywhere in the US. Comparing sticker rents between cities is the reflex, and it's the wrong one. Miami's $1,750 rent bites harder than San Francisco's $2,400 because Miami incomes are lower. What eats your paycheck is the ratio, not the dollar figure on the listing.

Enter a city and see the burden score instantly. If you're above 30%, you're cost-burdened by HUD standards. Above 50%, you're in crisis territory. Either way, now you know.

Your Rent Burden Score by City

The score is simple: monthly rent divided by gross monthly income, times 100. If you pay $1,500/month and earn $5,000/month gross, your rent burden is 30%. The tool uses median rent and median household income for each city by default, but you can override with your actual numbers.

Burden categories

• Light (under 20%): Plenty of room for savings, emergencies, and lifestyle. You're in good shape.
• Moderate (20-29%): Comfortable for most households. Some flexibility remains.
• Heavy (30-49%): HUD calls this "cost-burdened." You'll feel it when unexpected bills hit.
• Severe (50%+): Crisis territory. Little margin for savings, debt payoff, or emergencies.

The category is a signal to dig into, nothing more. Some people manage fine at 35% because they have no debt and low other expenses. Others struggle at 25% because of student loans or childcare. Read the band, then layer in your full budget.

30% and 50% Flags (What They Mean)

The 30% threshold comes from HUD, and it's been the standard for decades. The idea: if you spend more than 30% of gross income on housing, you have less for food, healthcare, transportation, and savings. At 50%+, you're severely cost-burdened, and one unexpected expense can trigger a crisis.

The 30% rule's limits

• It uses gross income, not take-home pay
• Doesn't account for student loans, childcare, or healthcare
• Was created when other costs were lower relative to income
• In expensive cities, many people exceed 30% without crisis

Why 50% is the red line

• Half your income to rent leaves little for anything else
• Savings rate drops to near zero
• One job loss or medical bill can mean eviction
• Long-term wealth building becomes nearly impossible

The 30% rule is a rough guideline that bends by market. In Manhattan or SF, many renters exceed 30% and still build decent lives. In cheaper cities, staying under 30% is easier, and if you can't, that's a bigger warning sign because it means something else is off.

Cities Where Rent Outruns Income

High rent doesn't automatically mean high burden. San Francisco has $2,400 median rent but $110,000 median income, so that's 26% burden (moderate). Miami has $1,750 rent but only $51,000 income, which lands at 41% burden (heavy). The ratio exposes which cities are actually affordable relative to what people earn there.

Examples that surprise people

Lower rent, higher burden

• Miami: $1,750 rent / $51K income = 41%
• New Orleans: $1,200 rent / $43K income = 33%
• Las Vegas: $1,450 rent / $54K income = 32%

Higher rent, lower burden

• San Francisco: $2,400 rent / $110K income = 26%
• Seattle: $2,000 rent / $97K income = 25%
• San Jose: $2,600 rent / $130K income = 24%

If you're moving from a high-income city to a lower-income city for a lower-paying job, check the ratio carefully. The "cheaper rent" might come with a worse burden if your income drops proportionally.

Budget Levers That Change the Result

The tool uses median rent and median income by default. Your actual numbers will differ. Here's what moves the needle:

Roommates

Split a $2,000 apartment with one roommate and your rent drops to $1,000. That might take you from 35% burden to 18%, a full category jump. The tool uses median rent for solo apartments, so if you're planning to share, enter your actual expected rent.

Neighborhood choice

Median rent is a citywide average. Downtown might be 50% higher; outer suburbs might be 30% lower. If you're targeting a specific neighborhood, check actual listings and enter that number instead of the median.

Dual income

Median household income includes all earners. If you're comparing your individual salary to household median, you'll overestimate your burden. Enter your actual household income, both earners combined, for accurate results.

Unit size tradeoffs

A studio or 1BR costs less than a 2BR or 3BR. If you're flexible on space, you can often drop your burden by one category just by downsizing. The tool defaults to typical 1BR median rent.

The more you customize with your actual numbers, the more useful the result. City medians are good for comparison; personal data is good for decision-making.

Hidden Monthly Costs to Add Back

"Gross rent" in the data includes utilities (electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash). But if you're entering your own rent, make sure you're counting everything that hits your bank account for housing:

1. Utilities not included in rent. If your lease is $1,500 but you pay $200/month separately for electric and gas, your true housing cost is $1,700.
2. Renter's insurance. Usually $15 to $30/month. Small, but it adds up.
3. Parking fees. In urban areas, parking can run $150 to $400/month on top of rent.
4. Pet fees. Monthly pet rent of $25 to $75 is common in many buildings.
5. Internet and cable. Some people count this as housing, some don't. Be consistent.

If you're comparing two cities, use consistent definitions. Either include utilities for both or exclude them for both. Mixing methods will skew your comparison.

Reading the Result Before You Sign

Start with the income you plug in. Landlords and HUD both work off gross income, the number before taxes. Use net income and your ratio looks worse than the standard everyone else measures against, so gross is the right default here. You can run a net version for your own budgeting, but keep the two straight so you don't confuse yourself when a leasing agent quotes you a threshold.

Where you sit against the city median changes everything. Earn $80,000 in a city with a $60,000 median and your burden comes in below the city average. Earn $45,000 in that same city and it climbs above it. That's why medians are fine for comparing cities against each other, but your actual income is what decides your own affordability. Switch to personal data mode and the number reflects you instead of the typical household.

The 30% figure isn't a landlord approval line, either. Most landlords want to see roughly 3x monthly rent in gross income, which works out to about a 33% burden. Some accept 2.5x, or 40%, and plenty stay flexible if you bring savings or a guarantor. Treat 30% as a marker for your own financial health rather than a universal cutoff for getting the keys.

Moving for a new job deserves its own pass. Enter the new salary and the new city's rent, not your current ones, so the score reflects where you're headed. Then hold it against your current burden. If you're jumping from 25% to 40%, that raise might not feel like a raise once rent takes its cut. And remember the tool runs on gross income, so it doesn't touch taxes. Leave a no-income-tax state for a high-tax one and your take-home shrinks, which quietly pushes your real burden above what the gross math shows. Run a separate tax calculator to see net income if a state change is part of the picture.

Whether you can stretch past 30% comes down to your full budget. No debt, no car payment, low other costs, and 35% can work fine. Carry student loans, childcare, and medical bills and even 28% starts to bite. So take the percentage this tool gives you as one input, not the ruling. Put it next to your actual bank statements, your other fixed payments, and the rent a real listing quotes before you sign anything. The number tells you where the pressure sits. Your own budget tells you if you can carry it.

Sources

• HUD Affordable Housing Guidelines: hud.gov/affordablehousing. The 30% income rule and cost-burden definitions.
• Census Bureau Housing Data: census.gov/topics/housing. Median rent and household income by metro.
• HUD Fair Market Rent Data: huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr. Annual rent estimates by metro area.
• Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies: jchs.harvard.edu. Research on rent burden trends and affordability.