Rent-to-income map
How much of local income goes to rent in every U.S. county. The standard HUD affordability threshold is 30%.
About this map
Each county is colored by its rent-to-income ratio, calculated as (one-bedroom annual Fair Market Rent ÷ average household income) × 100. HUD considers a household rent-burdened when they spend more than 30% of income on housing. Counties shaded orange and red on this map exceed that threshold at the local one-bedroom Fair Market Rent.
This is a structural measure of affordability. It treats one bedroom for a single tenant as the baseline, which is a useful comparison across counties but does not capture multi-earner households, shared rentals or rent below FMR (which is common in non-coastal areas).
Frequently asked questions
About the rent-to-income map.
What is the rent-to-income ratio?
The rent-to-income ratio is annual rent divided by household income, expressed as a percentage. For this map we use one-bedroom Fair Market Rent × 12 divided by average household income. Lower is more affordable.
What is considered rent-burdened?
HUD defines a household as rent-burdened when they spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and severely rent-burdened above 50%. Counties shaded orange and red on the map exceed the 30% threshold using the local one-bedroom Fair Market Rent and the local average household income.
Why is this different from the cost of living map?
The cost of living map shows absolute dollar costs. The rent-to-income ratio shows how affordable rent is relative to local earnings. A county can have moderate rent in absolute terms but still be heavily rent-burdened if local incomes are low, or expensive rent that is manageable if local incomes are correspondingly high.
About this data
County boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau via the us-atlas project. Rent figures are HUD FY2025 Fair Market Rents; income figures are Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.