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 California 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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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.1%
- Total occupied households: 10,085
- Median household income: $49,633
- Median monthly housing cost: $876
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.2%
- Total occupied households: 19,240
- Median household income: $45,241
- Median monthly housing cost: $806
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.3%
- Total occupied households: 9,945
- Median household income: $45,283
- Median monthly housing cost: $813
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 40.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.4%
- Total occupied households: 7,643
- Median household income: $48,820
- Median monthly housing cost: $882
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 40.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.8%
- Total occupied households: 43,452
- Median household income: $57,848
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,057
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.4%
- Total occupied households: 14,594
- Median household income: $62,772
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,147
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 42.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.0%
- Total occupied households: 362,354
- Median household income: $112,449
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,081
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 35.9%
- Total occupied households: 22,502
- Median household income: $60,108
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,129
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.6%
- Total occupied households: 70,974
- Median household income: $83,377
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,590
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 38.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 35.4%
- Total occupied households: 32,636
- Median household income: $59,050
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,134
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 35.2%
- Total occupied households: 640,215
- Median household income: $124,055
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,404
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 40.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.8%
- Total occupied households: 44,881
- Median household income: $57,585
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,117
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.5%
- Total occupied households: 26,354
- Median household income: $58,054
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,134
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 38.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.5%
- Total occupied households: 142,855
- Median household income: $89,691
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,759
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.6%
- Total occupied households: 71,181
- Median household income: $54,667
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,074
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.9%
- Total occupied households: 44,829
- Median household income: $47,622
- Median monthly housing cost: $936
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 35.4%
- Total occupied households: 80,008
- Median household income: $53,672
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,066
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.6%
- Total occupied households: 394,769
- Median household income: $99,716
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,013
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 38.6%
- Total occupied households: 85,320
- Median household income: $52,537
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,061
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.8%
- Total occupied households: 48,705
- Median household income: $88,596
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,791
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.8%
- Total occupied households: 270,282
- Median household income: $53,350
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,080
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 35.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.1%
- Total occupied households: 25,660
- Median household income: $47,040
- Median monthly housing cost: $953
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.3%
- Total occupied households: 263,543
- Median household income: $122,641
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,486
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 36.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.1%
- Total occupied households: 577,177
- Median household income: $99,406
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,018
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 36.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.5%
- Total occupied households: 173,898
- Median household income: $60,704
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,235
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 36.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 38.7%
- Total occupied households: 307,906
- Median household income: $53,969
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,106
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 36.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.9%
- Total occupied households: 543,025
- Median household income: $67,151
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,379
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.1%
- Total occupied households: 74,296
- Median household income: $70,228
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,444
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 39.4%
- Total occupied households: 138,238
- Median household income: $49,687
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,026
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 35.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.8%
- Total occupied households: 4,765
- Median household income: $62,260
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,292
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 35.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.0%
- Total occupied households: 149,865
- Median household income: $81,472
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,701
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 39.0%
- Total occupied households: 105,432
- Median household income: $115,246
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,412
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 35.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 38.4%
- Total occupied households: 24,189
- Median household income: $44,514
- Median monthly housing cost: $934
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 35.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 38.4%
- Total occupied households: 228,567
- Median household income: $64,432
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,355
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 33.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 38.2%
- Total occupied households: 18,135
- Median household income: $86,958
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,840
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 35.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 38.9%
- Total occupied households: 189,374
- Median household income: $81,018
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,717
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 38.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 39.2%
- Total occupied households: 16,942
- Median household income: $63,158
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,349
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 35.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 39.4%
- Total occupied households: 105,981
- Median household income: $73,518
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,578
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 34.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 42.0%
- Total occupied households: 54,679
- Median household income: $48,041
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,034
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 34.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 40.5%
- Total occupied households: 636,041
- Median household income: $63,362
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,367
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 35.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 40.2%
- Total occupied households: 40,855
- Median household income: $66,096
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,428
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 26.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 36.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 39.3%
- Total occupied households: 34,408
- Median household income: $51,416
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,120
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 26.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 33.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 41.1%
- Total occupied households: 1,037,492
- Median household income: $90,234
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,973
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 26.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 34.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 40.4%
- Total occupied households: 271,040
- Median household income: $88,131
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,941
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 26.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 33.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 42.3%
- Total occupied households: 127,155
- Median household income: $71,015
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,569
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 26.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 33.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 40.7%
- Total occupied households: 724,893
- Median household income: $67,005
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,502
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 27.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 33.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 41.4%
- Total occupied households: 145,856
- Median household income: $74,624
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,676
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 27.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 34.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 41.5%
- Total occupied households: 95,818
- Median household income: $82,234
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,864
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 27.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 31.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 42.6%
- Total occupied households: 1,125,286
- Median household income: $78,980
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,797
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 28.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 29.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 45.9%
- Total occupied households: 3,316,795
- Median household income: $68,044
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,620
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