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 Virginia 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: 20.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.1%
- Total occupied households: 396,501
- Median household income: $124,831
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,110
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.5%
- Total occupied households: 4,555
- Median household income: $51,954
- Median monthly housing cost: $879
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 26.5%
- Total occupied households: 24,562
- Median household income: $100,783
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,717
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 24.9%
- Total occupied households: 14,651
- Median household income: $69,116
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,179
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.6%
--- 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: 35,685
- Median household income: $57,977
- Median monthly housing cost: $994
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 23.1%
- Total occupied households: 6,078
- Median household income: $66,987
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,150
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 27.0%
- Total occupied households: 44,436
- Median household income: $88,628
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,527
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.1%
- Total occupied households: 10,597
- Median household income: $52,611
- Median monthly housing cost: $910
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 20.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 27.2%
- Total occupied households: 11,507
- Median household income: $71,912
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,247
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.4%
- Total occupied households: 128,464
- Median household income: $70,307
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,236
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.4%
- Total occupied households: 107,032
- Median household income: $120,071
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,118
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 42.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.2%
- Total occupied households: 2,158
- Median household income: $42,632
- Median monthly housing cost: $754
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.3%
- Total occupied households: 3,975
- Median household income: $47,469
- Median monthly housing cost: $843
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 29.4%
- Total occupied households: 7,334
- Median household income: $37,500
- Median monthly housing cost: $668
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.7%
- Total occupied households: 142,000
- Median household income: $107,132
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,918
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.6%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 42.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.1%
- Total occupied households: 5,493
- Median household income: $127,610
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,298
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 30.0%
- Total occupied households: 4,949
- Median household income: $57,895
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,045
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 21.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.1%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.6%
- Total occupied households: 18,293
- Median household income: $37,203
- Median monthly housing cost: $672
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 45.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 21.1%
- Total occupied households: 7,548
- Median household income: $67,398
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,241
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 42.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 27.8%
- Total occupied households: 8,577
- Median household income: $116,979
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,155
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.1%
- Total occupied households: 28,273
- Median household income: $46,409
- Median monthly housing cost: $856
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 47.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 28.5%
- Total occupied households: 10,946
- Median household income: $65,103
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,202
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.6%
- Total occupied households: 10,490
- Median household income: $58,818
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,086
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 44.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.4%
- Total occupied households: 7,923
- Median household income: $53,853
- Median monthly housing cost: $996
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.3%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 40.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.1%
- Total occupied households: 33,774
- Median household income: $74,884
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,392
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.0%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 32.6%
- Total occupied households: 70,598
- Median household income: $100,939
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,880
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.4%
--- 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: 84,849
- Median household income: $78,640
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,469
- 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: 35.3%
- Total occupied households: 7,036
- Median household income: $54,550
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,021
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 22.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 37.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 34.1%
- Total occupied households: 170,798
- Median household income: $76,610
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,463
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 40.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.6%
- Total occupied households: 41,740
- Median household income: $44,230
- Median monthly housing cost: $847
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 43.3%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 33.5%
- Total occupied households: 5,532
- Median household income: $34,371
- Median monthly housing cost: $665
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 23.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 38.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 35.6%
- Total occupied households: 16,723
- Median household income: $46,679
- Median monthly housing cost: $920
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.3%
- Total occupied households: 18,617
- Median household income: $59,471
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,189
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 38.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.1%
- Total occupied households: 10,762
- Median household income: $65,641
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,320
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.3%
--- 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: 4,706
- Median household income: $57,463
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,164
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.5%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 34.4%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.3%
- Total occupied households: 12,898
- Median household income: $81,493
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,662
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 24.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 36.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.9%
- Total occupied households: 54,050
- Median household income: $56,287
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,166
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 41.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.5%
- Total occupied households: 9,193
- Median household income: $45,011
- Median monthly housing cost: $937
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.1%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 49.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 31.6%
- Total occupied households: 1,628
- Median household income: $29,000
- Median monthly housing cost: $607
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 32.7%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.2%
- Total occupied households: 4,641
- Median household income: $88,046
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,846
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 34.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 39.0%
- Total occupied households: 69,835
- Median household income: $53,215
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,117
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 34.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.0%
- Total occupied households: 3,522
- Median household income: $40,417
- Median monthly housing cost: $864
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 25.9%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 32.6%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 39.0%
- Total occupied households: 36,370
- Median household income: $52,175
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,124
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 26.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 31.2%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 40.9%
- Total occupied households: 88,353
- Median household income: $51,590
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,153
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 26.8%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 40.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 36.6%
- Total occupied households: 9,224
- Median household income: $39,030
- Median monthly housing cost: $873
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- Median percent of income spent on housing: 27.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 36.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 38.0%
- Total occupied households: 5,573
- Median household income: $36,297
- Median monthly housing cost: $818
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 27.7%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 32.9%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 41.4%
- Total occupied households: 90,301
- Median household income: $47,250
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,092
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 28.0%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 35.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 37.3%
- Total occupied households: 2,517
- Median household income: $32,455
- Median monthly housing cost: $758
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 29.2%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 30.8%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 43.9%
- Total occupied households: 13,165
- Median household income: $38,679
- Median monthly housing cost: $941
- Median percent of income spent on housing: 32.4%
--- Percent of households spending <20% of income on housing: 30.5%
--- Percent of households spending >30% of income on housing: 45.1%
- Total occupied households: 2,086
- Median household income: $27,063
- Median monthly housing cost: $730
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