In more than half of US states, rent is gobbling up over a third of Americans' wallets — one of the mounting bills stretching household budgets thin.
The Urban Institute, a nonprofit think tank, published The American Affordability Tracker in late October, a tool with data on Americans' finances and how they have changed in recent years. And for those Americans who don't own their homes, rent is one of the biggest stressors.
In 31 states, average monthly rent took up more than 30% of Americans' average weekly earnings in August 2026.
North Dakota had the smallest rent-to-earnings ratio, at 21.17%, while in Hawaii and New York, rent accounted for around 50% of average earnings — indicating households in these states could be more cost-burdened than in other parts of the country.
Yonah Freemark, a researcher at the Urban Institute, said the issue of affordability boils down to the question: "Are you actually able to afford the typical daily needs you have?"
"People feel like they can't afford their daily life, and it's everything that they're experiencing, not just one thing," he said.
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