Counties in Alabama where people spend most of their paycheck on housing

·Stacker

Arina P Habich // Shutterstock
Arina P Habich // Shutterstock

It's no secret that many Americans are forgoing homeownership in favor of renting. In 2020, renters in the U.S. occupied 43 million housing units.

The Stacker team looked at data from a United States Census survey that revealed an estimated 43,378,800 renter-occupied homes in the United States as of 2017, which makes up 36.1% of all households in the country. In 2019, renting was more affordable than buying a median-priced home in 59% of the counties; in 2021, the opposite was true: Owning was more affordable than renting in 63% of U.S. counties.

Stacker compiled a list of counties in Alabama where people spend the highest percent of income on rent using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Of course, saving money by owning a home is unattainable for many Americans who don't have savings that could cover a down payment, those who are denied a mortgage, or both. Keep reading to see where in your home state most of people's take-home pay goes to their monthly rent.

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#50. Cherokee County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 15.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 57.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.1%
- Total occupied households: 10,737
- Median household income: $41,919
- Median monthly housing cost: $542

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#49. Jackson County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 15.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.5%
- Total occupied households: 20,695
- Median household income: $41,769
- Median monthly housing cost: $549

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#48. Covington County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 15.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 58.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.6%
- Total occupied households: 14,852
- Median household income: $42,189
- Median monthly housing cost: $558

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#47. Chilton County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 15.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.3%
- Total occupied households: 16,927
- Median household income: $47,468
- Median monthly housing cost: $629

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#45. Tallapoosa County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.2%
- Total occupied households: 16,205
- Median household income: $45,828
- Median monthly housing cost: $618

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#44. Winston County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.7%
- Total occupied households: 9,592
- Median household income: $35,788
- Median monthly housing cost: $483

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#43. Geneva County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.6%
- Total occupied households: 10,383
- Median household income: $41,732
- Median monthly housing cost: $564

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#42. Coffee County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.0%
- Total occupied households: 19,924
- Median household income: $55,637
- Median monthly housing cost: $752

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#41. Escambia County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.4%
- Total occupied households: 13,089
- Median household income: $36,275
- Median monthly housing cost: $495

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#40. Colbert County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.9%
- Total occupied households: 21,880
- Median household income: $48,065
- Median monthly housing cost: $657

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#39. Marion County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.6%
- Total occupied households: 11,997
- Median household income: $35,930
- Median monthly housing cost: $493

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#38. Lauderdale County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 22.6%
- Total occupied households: 38,471
- Median household income: $48,094
- Median monthly housing cost: $664

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#37. St. Clair County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 57.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.2%
- Total occupied households: 32,036
- Median household income: $58,308
- Median monthly housing cost: $812

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#35. DeKalb County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.8%
- Total occupied households: 26,040
- Median household income: $40,440
- Median monthly housing cost: $569

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#34. Madison County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.1%
- Total occupied households: 148,189
- Median household income: $65,449
- Median monthly housing cost: $921

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#33. Clarke County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 50.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.5%
- Total occupied households: 9,090
- Median household income: $37,404
- Median monthly housing cost: $530

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#32. Butler County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.0%
- Total occupied households: 6,506
- Median household income: $40,688
- Median monthly housing cost: $577

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#30. Dale County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 52.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.3%
- Total occupied households: 18,806
- Median household income: $47,214
- Median monthly housing cost: $676

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#29. Calhoun County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.1%
- Total occupied households: 44,605
- Median household income: $47,255
- Median monthly housing cost: $678

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#28. Shelby County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.2%
- Total occupied households: 79,630
- Median household income: $77,799
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,121

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#27. Marshall County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.5%
- Total occupied households: 34,883
- Median household income: $45,983
- Median monthly housing cost: $665

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#25. Cullman County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.4%
- Total occupied households: 31,034
- Median household income: $44,918
- Median monthly housing cost: $671

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#24. Talladega County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 18.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 51.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.0%
- Total occupied households: 31,395
- Median household income: $41,325
- Median monthly housing cost: $621

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#23. Autauga County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 18.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 51.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 25.5%
- Total occupied households: 21,397
- Median household income: $58,731
- Median monthly housing cost: $915

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#22. Chambers County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 18.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.4%
- Total occupied households: 13,448
- Median household income: $42,289
- Median monthly housing cost: $663

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#20. Houston County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 52.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.7%
- Total occupied households: 39,311
- Median household income: $47,580
- Median monthly housing cost: $753

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#19. Marengo County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.2%
- Total occupied households: 7,361
- Median household income: $33,241
- Median monthly housing cost: $538

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#18. Baldwin County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.3%
- Total occupied households: 80,930
- Median household income: $58,320
- Median monthly housing cost: $951

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#17. Wilcox County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.8%
- Total occupied households: 3,854
- Median household income: $31,014
- Median monthly housing cost: $514

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#15. Tuscaloosa County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 48.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.5%
- Total occupied households: 72,461
- Median household income: $53,326
- Median monthly housing cost: $891

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#14. Lee County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 28.9%
- Total occupied households: 60,237
- Median household income: $51,463
- Median monthly housing cost: $870

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#13. Barbour County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.9%
- Total occupied households: 9,345
- Median household income: $32,525
- Median monthly housing cost: $552

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#12. Jefferson County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.4%
- Total occupied households: 261,231
- Median household income: $53,901
- Median monthly housing cost: $934

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#10. Macon County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.7%
- Total occupied households: 7,474
- Median household income: $33,370
- Median monthly housing cost: $580

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#9. Pike County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.3%
- Total occupied households: 11,601
- Median household income: $37,446
- Median monthly housing cost: $653

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#8. Montgomery County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.6%
- Total occupied households: 89,527
- Median household income: $50,124
- Median monthly housing cost: $885

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#7. Mobile County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.2%
- Total occupied households: 156,251
- Median household income: $47,583
- Median monthly housing cost: $847

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#5. Russell County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 42.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.1%
- Total occupied households: 23,262
- Median household income: $42,443
- Median monthly housing cost: $778

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#4. Lowndes County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.6%
- Total occupied households: 4,251
- Median household income: $30,036
- Median monthly housing cost: $571

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#3. Sumter County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 40.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.9%
- Total occupied households: 5,202
- Median household income: $24,320
- Median monthly housing cost: $466

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#2. Perry County

- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 31.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.2%
- Total occupied households: 3,070
- Median household income: $23,447
- Median monthly housing cost: $464