How many households in the US spend too much on housing?
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About 43.7 million households were cost-burdened in 2025. That's 33.6% of all 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.
43.7M
households were cost burdened in 2025
33.6%
of households were cost burdened in 2025
The number of cost-burdened households increased from 38.1 million in 2015 to 43.7 million in 2025. 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 2025, 33.6% of US households were cost burdened. This is up 0.23 percentage points from 2015.
A higher share of renter households are cost-burdened than owner households.
Share of households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing, 2005–2025
What is the difference in housing cost burden for renters versus homeowners?
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. Since 2015, the proportion of cost-burdened owner households has increased from 23.9% to 24.4% in 2025. Meanwhile, cost burden increased from 50.6% to 51.8% among renter households.
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Which states have the highest and lowest cost burden for renters?
Cost burdens also vary nationwide. The share of renters who are cost-burdened ranged from 34.7% in North Dakota to 61.3% of all renter households in Florida in 2025.
Florida had the highest cost-burdened share of renters in 2025.
Share of renter households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing, 2025
Which states have the highest and lowest cost burden for homeowners?
In 50 out of 50 states, plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, a smaller share of owner households was cost burdened than renter households in 2025. Among owner households, the share experiencing cost burden ranged from 15.7% in North Dakota to 32.6% in California.
California had the highest proportion of cost-burdened homeowners in 2025.
Share of owner households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing, 2025
Wyoming had the narrowest difference between cost-burdened renters and owners: 16.9 percentage points, with the burden being higher for renters. Mississippi had the largest gap: 32.3 percentage points.
Cost-burdened households, by state (2025)
| 1. | Alabama | 49.5% |
| 2. | Alaska | 43.2% |
| 3. | Arizona | 54.4% |
| 4. | Arkansas | 45% |
| 5. | California | 55.5% |
| 6. | Colorado | 51.8% |
| 7. | Connecticut | 55.6% |
| 8. | Delaware | 50.6% |
| 9. | Florida | 61.3% |
| 10. | Georgia | 52.8% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
