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 Montana 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: 12.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 61.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 17.7%
- Total occupied households: 3,609
- Median household income: $49,859
- Median monthly housing cost: $532
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 12.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 67.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 14.9%
- Total occupied households: 498
- Median household income: $53,958
- Median monthly housing cost: $580
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 12.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 22.5%
- Total occupied households: 351
- Median household income: $43,875
- Median monthly housing cost: $473
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 13.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 59.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.3%
- Total occupied households: 1,308
- Median household income: $49,881
- Median monthly housing cost: $547
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 13.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.7%
- Total occupied households: 906
- Median household income: $43,661
- Median monthly housing cost: $484
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 13.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 20.3%
- Total occupied households: 723
- Median household income: $49,701
- Median monthly housing cost: $553
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 13.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 17.7%
- Total occupied households: 1,867
- Median household income: $50,721
- Median monthly housing cost: $569
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 13.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 61.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 17.6%
- Total occupied households: 4,535
- Median household income: $67,205
- Median monthly housing cost: $759
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 13.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 52.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 15.7%
- Total occupied households: 737
- Median household income: $54,427
- Median monthly housing cost: $618
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 13.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 63.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 17.4%
- Total occupied households: 438
- Median household income: $42,000
- Median monthly housing cost: $484
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 13.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 58.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.4%
- Total occupied households: 1,639
- Median household income: $55,521
- Median monthly housing cost: $645
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 22.5%
- Total occupied households: 2,364
- Median household income: $60,594
- Median monthly housing cost: $707
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.2%
- Total occupied households: 4,163
- Median household income: $36,045
- Median monthly housing cost: $421
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 22.8%
- Total occupied households: 2,366
- Median household income: $41,279
- Median monthly housing cost: $483
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 16.7%
- Total occupied households: 2,274
- Median household income: $42,298
- Median monthly housing cost: $495
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.0%
- Total occupied households: 628
- Median household income: $48,000
- Median monthly housing cost: $568
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 57.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 17.4%
- Total occupied households: 3,386
- Median household income: $53,162
- Median monthly housing cost: $630
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.6%
- Total occupied households: 3,930
- Median household income: $58,596
- Median monthly housing cost: $700
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 51.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 14.4%
- Total occupied households: 895
- Median household income: $44,875
- Median monthly housing cost: $537
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 16.3%
- Total occupied households: 2,426
- Median household income: $54,667
- Median monthly housing cost: $655
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 14.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 52.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 13.7%
- Total occupied households: 204
- Median household income: $51,250
- Median monthly housing cost: $629
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 15.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 53.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 25.9%
- Total occupied households: 4,912
- Median household income: $50,540
- Median monthly housing cost: $642
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 15.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 52.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 19.1%
- Total occupied households: 792
- Median household income: $39,655
- Median monthly housing cost: $518
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 15.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 56.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 18.5%
- Total occupied households: 2,103
- Median household income: $51,151
- Median monthly housing cost: $670
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 15.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 57.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.4%
- Total occupied households: 4,484
- Median household income: $69,646
- Median monthly housing cost: $913
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 15.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 50.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 25.5%
- Total occupied households: 6,369
- Median household income: $49,321
- Median monthly housing cost: $649
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 52.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 22.9%
- Total occupied households: 1,786
- Median household income: $41,705
- Median monthly housing cost: $564
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 55.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.3%
- Total occupied households: 3,903
- Median household income: $41,820
- Median monthly housing cost: $568
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 60.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 17.8%
- Total occupied households: 1,566
- Median household income: $49,886
- Median monthly housing cost: $678
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 25.8%
- Total occupied households: 702
- Median household income: $46,607
- Median monthly housing cost: $635
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 51.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.1%
- Total occupied households: 5,036
- Median household income: $40,823
- Median monthly housing cost: $559
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.6%
- Total occupied households: 2,464
- Median household income: $55,000
- Median monthly housing cost: $756
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.8%
- Total occupied households: 3,570
- Median household income: $54,107
- Median monthly housing cost: $748
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 58.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 22.3%
- Total occupied households: 3,761
- Median household income: $64,645
- Median monthly housing cost: $894
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 54.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.2%
- Total occupied households: 4,524
- Median household income: $58,707
- Median monthly housing cost: $816
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 16.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 50.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 25.1%
- Total occupied households: 351
- Median household income: $43,047
- Median monthly housing cost: $600
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 51.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.3%
- Total occupied households: 4,903
- Median household income: $52,965
- Median monthly housing cost: $761
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 48.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 25.2%
- Total occupied households: 14,960
- Median household income: $45,718
- Median monthly housing cost: $677
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 17.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 50.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.6%
- Total occupied households: 3,992
- Median household income: $43,201
- Median monthly housing cost: $643
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 18.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.1%
- Total occupied households: 11,802
- Median household income: $48,829
- Median monthly housing cost: $734
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 18.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 50.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.3%
- Total occupied households: 27,893
- Median household income: $65,791
- Median monthly housing cost: $989
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.0%
- Total occupied households: 17,354
- Median household income: $53,054
- Median monthly housing cost: $862
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.7%
- Total occupied households: 7,782
- Median household income: $53,068
- Median monthly housing cost: $872
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 27.3%
- Total occupied households: 34,329
- Median household income: $49,913
- Median monthly housing cost: $821
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 28.5%
- Total occupied households: 66,385
- Median household income: $61,264
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,015
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.5%
- Total occupied households: 2,181
- Median household income: $43,274
- Median monthly housing cost: $717
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 28.8%
- Total occupied households: 38,773
- Median household income: $56,182
- Median monthly housing cost: $937
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 40.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.2%
- Total occupied households: 49,313
- Median household income: $54,062
- Median monthly housing cost: $939
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.5%
- Total occupied households: 8,122
- Median household income: $40,140
- Median monthly housing cost: $704
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.7%
- Total occupied households: 43,777
- Median household income: $66,397
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,192
