How many households in California spend too much on housing?
Updates published annually
About 5.6 million in 2023. That’s 42.3% of all California households. These households spent at least 30% of their total income on rent or mortgage payments and utilities. The Department of Housing and Urban Development considers households that spend more than 30% of their income on housing to be cost-burdened. Cost-burdened households may have less money for other necessities such as food, healthcare, or savings.
In 2023,
5.6M
households were cost burdened
In 2023,
42.3%
of households were cost burdened
The number of cost-burdened households in California increased from 5.5 million in 2013 to 5.6 million in 2023. Cost burden considers both household income and housing costs, so factors affecting either of these can influence the number of burdened households. For example:
- Changes in wages, employment status, or the number of people in a household can impact household income.
- Changes in housing supply/demand or interest rates can affect costs.
A growing or declining US population can also affect the number of cost-burdened households. To counteract this, USAFacts analyzed the percentages of cost-burdened households rather than just the number. This prevents such population changes from skewing the data.
In 2023, 42.3% of California households were cost burdened, higher than the national average of 32.8%.
In California, 42.3% of households were cost burdened in 2023.
Share of households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing
Cost burden varies for renters and homeowners. For example, during the Great Recession (2007–2009) unemployment rose, millions of homes entered foreclosure, and rental demand increased. By 2010, cost burden had increased among renters while staying flat among homeowner households.
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Since 2013, the proportion of cost-burdened owner households in California has decreased from 34.6% to 31.9% in 2023. Meanwhile, cost burden changed from 57.1% to 56.1% among renter households.
In California, 56.1% of renter and 31.9% of owner households were cost burdened in 2023.
Share of households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing
In 2019–2023, the share of owner households in metro areas that were cost burdened was 22.3%. The metro areas with the highest and lowest share of cost-burdened owner households were the Miami, FL area at 33.9% (highest) and Columbus, IN area at 13.0% (lowest). In California, the highest and lowest were Los Angeles, CA area at 33.7% and Chico, CA area at 26.5%.
Across metro areas, 22.4% of owner households were cost burdened.
Share of owner households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing, 2019–2023
In 2019–2023, the share of renter households in metro areas that were cost burdened was 51.1%. The metro areas in the US with the highest and lowest share of cost-burdened renter households were the Miami, FL area at 63.1% (highest) and Sheboygan, WI area at 31.9% (lowest). In California, the highest and lowest were the Oxnard, CA area at 59.3% and the San Jose, CA area at 44.7%.
Across metro areas, 51.2% of renter households were cost burdened.
Share of renter households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing, 2019–2023
The difference between the cost-burdened share of owner and renter households was narrowest in the San Jose, CA area, where cost burden was 17.6 percentage points higher among renters than owners, and highest in the Chico, CA area where the gap was 31.5 percentage points. Within the state overall, the gap was 24.2 percentage points.
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
