Housing affordability varies sharply across metro areas
Rent costs have risen faster than incomes in many major cities, increasing financial pressure on households. The chart compares median rent as a share of median household income across selected U.S. metro areas.
The main pattern is clear. In several large cities, renters are spending well above the commonly recommended affordability threshold of 30% of income on housing.
Miami records the highest rent burden
Miami leads the chart with rent consuming 42.0% of median household income, the highest share among the metro areas shown.
Los Angeles follows at 39.0%, while New York reaches 38.0%. These figures mean that in some of the country’s largest housing markets, renters are spending close to half of their income just on rent.
Phoenix also remains elevated at 34.0%, while Atlanta and Dallas sit at 32.0% and 31.0% respectively.
At the lower end, Minneapolis records the smallest rent burden at 24.0%, notably below the highest-cost metros.
The difference between Miami and Minneapolis is 18 percentage points, highlighting how uneven housing affordability has become across cities.
Most large metros remain above affordability guidelines
Chicago reports a rent burden of 29.0%, making it one of the few cities in the chart near the traditional affordability benchmark.
However, most other metros exceed 30%, suggesting that housing costs are placing substantial strain on household budgets.
The clustering of high-cost cities near or above 35% also indicates that affordability problems are not isolated to a single region.
Why rent burdens are so high
Several factors contribute to rising rent burdens, including limited housing supply, population growth, and elevated home prices that push more people into the rental market.
Cities with strong job growth and high demand often experience faster rent increases than income growth. Zoning restrictions and construction shortages can further tighten supply.
In markets like Miami and Los Angeles, rapid migration and sustained demand have intensified pressure on renters.
What this means for households
High rent burdens leave households with less income available for savings, healthcare, transportation, and other essentials.
For renters, this can reduce financial stability and make it harder to build long-term wealth. Higher housing costs may also influence migration patterns as workers search for more affordable cities.
The broader takeaway is clear. Housing affordability remains a major economic challenge, and in several major metros, rent now consumes a very large share of household income.
Dataset
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). American Community Survey (ACS). Housing and household income data. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Zillow Research. (2025). Rental market and median rent data.
