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 North Carolina 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: 19.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.6%
- Total occupied households: 9,521
- Median household income: $40,213
- Median monthly housing cost: $650
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 50.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.6%
- Total occupied households: 83,735
- Median household income: $52,835
- Median monthly housing cost: $855
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.2%
- Total occupied households: 68,968
- Median household income: $59,865
- Median monthly housing cost: $969
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.1%
- Total occupied households: 7,786
- Median household income: $36,466
- Median monthly housing cost: $591
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 48.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.1%
- Total occupied households: 19,701
- Median household income: $45,212
- Median monthly housing cost: $737
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.8%
- Total occupied households: 4,977
- Median household income: $35,979
- Median monthly housing cost: $593
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.7%
- Total occupied households: 21,400
- Median household income: $55,856
- Median monthly housing cost: $922
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 27.4%
- Total occupied households: 45,927
- Median household income: $34,976
- Median monthly housing cost: $578
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 51.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 22.7%
- Total occupied households: 4,996
- Median household income: $42,222
- Median monthly housing cost: $699
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 19.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.6%
- Total occupied households: 53,376
- Median household income: $71,723
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,189
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.8%
- Total occupied households: 9,378
- Median household income: $40,090
- Median monthly housing cost: $670
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 50.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 27.7%
- Total occupied households: 64,439
- Median household income: $49,688
- Median monthly housing cost: $831
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.5%
- Total occupied households: 7,164
- Median household income: $39,837
- Median monthly housing cost: $668
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.6%
- Total occupied households: 21,580
- Median household income: $37,628
- Median monthly housing cost: $631
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.0%
- Total occupied households: 146,816
- Median household income: $51,569
- Median monthly housing cost: $867
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.6%
- Total occupied households: 16,875
- Median household income: $40,529
- Median monthly housing cost: $682
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 27.5%
- Total occupied households: 21,740
- Median household income: $57,240
- Median monthly housing cost: $969
- 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: 28.0%
- Total occupied households: 8,845
- Median household income: $41,028
- Median monthly housing cost: $699
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.4%
- Total occupied households: 6,133
- Median household income: $46,519
- Median monthly housing cost: $797
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 48.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.3%
- Total occupied households: 4,638
- Median household income: $50,750
- Median monthly housing cost: $870
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.9%
- Total occupied households: 18,380
- Median household income: $36,148
- Median monthly housing cost: $620
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.1%
- Total occupied households: 10,522
- Median household income: $69,964
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,203
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.0%
- Total occupied households: 48,343
- Median household income: $44,416
- Median monthly housing cost: $765
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.9%
- Total occupied households: 37,011
- Median household income: $49,537
- Median monthly housing cost: $854
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.9%
- Total occupied households: 203,987
- Median household income: $53,261
- Median monthly housing cost: $927
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 42.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 28.7%
- Total occupied households: 3,933
- Median household income: $64,572
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,128
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.2%
- Total occupied households: 41,226
- Median household income: $52,687
- Median monthly housing cost: $923
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 28.0%
- Total occupied households: 45,416
- Median household income: $53,554
- Median monthly housing cost: $939
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.2%
- Total occupied households: 7,909
- Median household income: $35,527
- Median monthly housing cost: $623
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 42.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.0%
- Total occupied households: 32,014
- Median household income: $43,877
- Median monthly housing cost: $771
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.2%
- Total occupied households: 21,077
- Median household income: $47,526
- Median monthly housing cost: $840
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.0%
- Total occupied households: 13,636
- Median household income: $36,173
- Median monthly housing cost: $640
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 46.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.8%
- Total occupied households: 12,922
- Median household income: $37,238
- Median monthly housing cost: $660
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.6%
- Total occupied households: 8,547
- Median household income: $37,146
- Median monthly housing cost: $670
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.8%
- Total occupied households: 411,097
- Median household income: $66,641
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,202
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 28.2%
- Total occupied households: 1,594
- Median household income: $35,300
- Median monthly housing cost: $637
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.9%
- Total occupied households: 14,697
- Median household income: $50,558
- Median monthly housing cost: $917
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.5%
- Total occupied households: 107,479
- Median household income: $52,207
- Median monthly housing cost: $954
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.9%
- Total occupied households: 23,148
- Median household income: $39,402
- Median monthly housing cost: $722
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.9%
- Total occupied households: 21,151
- Median household income: $36,866
- Median monthly housing cost: $679
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.3%
- Total occupied households: 69,799
- Median household income: $47,437
- Median monthly housing cost: $881
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.6%
- Total occupied households: 125,953
- Median household income: $60,958
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,133
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.9%
- Total occupied households: 5,936
- Median household income: $47,162
- Median monthly housing cost: $885
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 40.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 35.0%
- Total occupied households: 21,017
- Median household income: $35,502
- Median monthly housing cost: $705
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.3%
- Total occupied households: 17,799
- Median household income: $48,072
- Median monthly housing cost: $959
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.0%
- Total occupied households: 15,529
- Median household income: $59,381
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,189
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 35.9%
- Total occupied households: 95,638
- Median household income: $54,891
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,113
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 39.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.7%
- Total occupied households: 64,386
- Median household income: $50,278
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,022
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.4%
- Total occupied households: 125,427
- Median household income: $46,875
- Median monthly housing cost: $957
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 29.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 38.5%
- Total occupied households: 1,947
- Median household income: $39,663
- Median monthly housing cost: $833
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