How much do households in the spend on rent?

Updated annually
About $1,611, or 33% of their income, in 2020–2024. This is measured by comparing median, or average, rent and median monthly income for renting households.

$1.61K

median monthly rent in Baltimore, MD area (2020–2024)

33%

average share of income spent on rent in Baltimore, MD area (2020–2024)
Comparing rent to renter income provides one measure of rental affordability. The Baltimore, MD area (Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metro Area)’s median rent was about $1,611 per month in 2020–2024. Typical monthly income among renting households was about $4,888 per month during that same period.

A typical household spent about $1,611 on rent in the Baltimore, MD area.

Median gross rent and median renter household income, 2020–2024

Dividing rent by income provides what is called a rent-to-income ratio. A higher ratio of rent-to-income indicates rent is less affordable while a lower ratio indicates greater affordability.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development considers households with a rent-to-income ratio of more than 30%, that is, households that spend more than 30% their income on housing, to be cost-burdened. Cost-burdened households may have less money for other necessities such as food, healthcare, or savings. When median monthly rent is more than 30% of median monthly income, it means a typical household would meet the definition of housing cost-burdened.

Do households in the Baltimore, MD area spend more or less on rent than other Maryland metros?

The Baltimore, MD area’s rent-to-income ratio ranked 1 out of 6 Maryland metros.

Ratio of median gross rent to median renter household income, 2020–2024

Compared to other metro areas in the state, the Baltimore, MD area had the third highest median rent and third highest median renter-household income. (Metro areas are made up of economically interconnected counties that include at least one urban area. A single metro area can include multiple cities and cross state lines.) Out of the six metros in the state, the Baltimore, MD area’s rent-to-income ratio ranked highest.

Do households in the Baltimore, MD area spend more or less on rent than other large metros?

The large metro median rent-to-income ratio was 31.9%.

Ratio of median gross rent to median renter household income, 2020–2024

The Baltimore, MD area is a large metro, which have over 1 million people. Compared to other large metros, the Baltimore, MD area’s rent-to income ratio is higher than is typical. The average among large metros was 31.9% in 2020–2024, 1 percentage points lower than in the Baltimore, MD area.

Renter income and rent, large metro areas (2020–2024)

Renter income and rent, large metro areas (2020–2024)

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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.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.