California Cities by Rent Burden
California renter cost pressure in selected large cities
Rent burden shows the share of renter households spending at least 30% of household income on gross rent. Severe rent burden uses the 50% threshold. Gross rent includes contract rent and tenant-paid utilities, so the metric captures the monthly housing cost renters actually face.
This comparison uses the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Detailed Table B25070, “Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months.” The city percentages are calculated from ACS table cells, not copied from a Census-published ranking. The unit is percent of renter households with a computed rent-to-income ratio.
The table covers 32 selected California cities with published ACS place estimates used in this page. It is a large-city comparison across major renter markets and regional centers, not a complete list of every California municipality, town or census-designated place. A statewide all-place ranking would require a separate ACS 5-Year extraction and a reliability screen for smaller renter populations.
Key signals from the comparison
Vallejo sits at the top of this 32-city comparison, showing that the heaviest rent-to-income pressure is not limited to the most expensive coastal core cities.
Severe burden identifies households spending at least half of income on rent and utilities, a level associated with little room for transportation, food, health care or savings.
The page compares only the cities shown in the table. It does not describe the results as a Top 100 or a complete statewide all-city ranking.
The calculation uses B25070 total renter households, four 30%+ burden categories, the 50%+ severe-burden category and the “Not computed” category.
What the upper part of the table shows
The highest values are concentrated in cities where rents are high relative to renter incomes, not simply where apartment rents are highest in dollar terms. Vallejo, Vacaville and Concord illustrate this pattern: they are outside the most expensive Bay Area core, yet renter households still face heavy housing-cost pressure.
Los Angeles County cities form a broad high-burden cluster. El Monte, Compton, Hawthorne, South Gate, Inglewood, Bellflower, Long Beach and Los Angeles differ in size and housing stock, but they share an affordability problem shaped by high rent, uneven income growth and limited lower-cost supply.
The middle of the comparison includes Inland Empire, Central Valley and coastal Southern California cities. Their values are lower than the most extreme Bay Area and Los Angeles County entries, but many remain close enough to the upper tier to signal that rental stress is not confined to coastal California.
Top 10 within the 32-city rent-burden comparison
| Position | City | Rent burden | Severe burden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo | 71.0% | 39.5% |
| 2 | Vacaville | 70.2% | 37.9% |
| 3 | Concord | 66.1% | 34.4% |
| 4 | El Monte | 65.4% | 36.2% |
| 5 | Compton | 64.8% | 35.1% |
| 6 | Hawthorne | 63.7% | 34.0% |
| 7 | South Gate | 62.9% | 33.8% |
| 8 | Inglewood | 61.8% | 33.1% |
| 9 | Bellflower | 61.0% | 32.4% |
| 10 | Santa Ana | 60.5% | 31.8% |
Rent burden is the share of renter households spending 30% or more of household income on gross rent. Severe burden uses the 50% threshold. Values are rounded to one decimal place.
Top 15 selected cities by renter cost burden
The chart highlights the upper end of the 32-city comparison. Values above 60% indicate that a majority of renter households in the city spend at least 30% of income on rent and utilities.
Highest values shown: Vallejo 71.0%, Vacaville 70.2%, Concord 66.1%, El Monte 65.4% and Compton 64.8%.
Methodology
Indicator definition
The calculation is based on ACS Table B25070, Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months. The table universe is renter-occupied housing units. Rent-burdened households are counted from the 30.0–34.9%, 35.0–39.9%, 40.0–49.9% and 50.0% or more categories. Severe rent burden uses the 50.0% or more category.
Formula
Rent burden rate = (B25070_007E + B25070_008E + B25070_009E + B25070_010E) / (B25070_001E − B25070_011E) × 100. Severe burden rate = B25070_010E / (B25070_001E − B25070_011E) × 100. The “Not computed” category is excluded because the rent-to-income relationship is unavailable for those renter households.
Coverage and selection
The comparison is limited to the 32 California cities shown in the table. Cities were selected as major renter markets and regional anchors with published ACS place estimates in the source table. This makes the page a bounded large-city comparison, not a statewide all-place ranking. A complete California ranking would require a separate extraction for every California place and a documented reliability rule for smaller renter populations.
Rounding and limitations
Percentages are rounded to one decimal place after calculation. ACS estimates are survey-based, so margins of error can affect close city-to-city differences. Rent burden also combines both rent and income: a high-rent city can rank lower when renter incomes are high, while a lower-rent city can rank higher when renter incomes are weaker or more volatile.
Selected California cities by renter cost burden
| Position | City | Rent burden | Severe burden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo | 71.0% | 39.5% |
| 2 | Vacaville | 70.2% | 37.9% |
| 3 | Concord | 66.1% | 34.4% |
| 4 | El Monte | 65.4% | 36.2% |
| 5 | Compton | 64.8% | 35.1% |
| 6 | Hawthorne | 63.7% | 34.0% |
| 7 | South Gate | 62.9% | 33.8% |
| 8 | Inglewood | 61.8% | 33.1% |
| 9 | Bellflower | 61.0% | 32.4% |
| 10 | Santa Ana | 60.5% | 31.8% |
| 11 | Anaheim | 59.4% | 30.7% |
| 12 | Long Beach | 58.7% | 30.9% |
| 13 | Los Angeles | 57.2% | 30.1% |
| 14 | Rialto | 56.9% | 29.8% |
| 15 | San Bernardino | 56.4% | 30.4% |
| 16 | Riverside | 55.9% | 29.2% |
| 17 | Oxnard | 55.5% | 28.7% |
| 18 | Stockton | 54.8% | 28.5% |
| 19 | Fresno | 54.3% | 28.1% |
| 20 | Pomona | 53.9% | 28.0% |
| 21 | Fontana | 53.5% | 27.2% |
| 22 | Modesto | 52.9% | 27.0% |
| 23 | Bakersfield | 52.6% | 26.8% |
| 24 | San Diego | 52.1% | 26.2% |
| 25 | Sacramento | 51.8% | 26.0% |
| 26 | Santa Rosa | 50.9% | 25.4% |
| 27 | Pasadena | 49.6% | 25.0% |
| 28 | Oakland | 48.9% | 24.2% |
| 29 | San Jose | 44.7% | 21.6% |
| 30 | San Francisco | 35.6% | 17.4% |
| 31 | Mountain View | 33.5% | 16.3% |
| 32 | Sunnyvale | 33.1% | 15.9% |
No matching cities found.
The table is ordered by the calculated share of renter households spending 30% or more of income on gross rent. Severe burden shows the calculated share spending 50% or more. Values are rounded to one decimal place.
Insights from the comparison
What this means for readers
For renters, a high rent-burden rate is a practical warning signal. When a city is above 60%, most renter households are spending a large share of income just to remain housed, leaving less room for transportation, food, health care, education and savings.
For employers, the metric helps explain wage pressure, turnover risk and long commutes. When workers cannot rent near jobs, hiring becomes harder and local labor markets become less stable.
For local governments and housing analysts, severe rent burden is the sharper risk indicator. Households spending at least half of income on rent have little margin for job loss, medical bills or rent increases. The metric is strongest when read together with median gross rent, renter income, vacancy, housing production and subsidized housing supply.
FAQ
What does rent burden mean?
Rent burden means a renter household spends at least 30% of household income on gross rent. Gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated tenant-paid utilities.
What is severe rent burden?
Severe rent burden means a renter household spends at least 50% of household income on gross rent. This threshold is more acute because it leaves little income for food, transportation, health care, savings and emergency expenses.
Why are only 32 cities included?
The page is a selected large-city comparison across major California renter markets and regional centers. It is not a complete statewide all-place ranking. A full statewide ranking would need a separate ACS 5-Year extraction for every city, town and census-designated place, plus a reliability screen for small renter populations.
Why can an expensive city rank lower than a cheaper city?
The metric compares rent with income. A city with very high rents can have a lower burden rate if renter incomes are also high. A less expensive city can rank higher when renter incomes are lower or unstable.
Does gross rent include utilities?
Yes. ACS gross rent includes contract rent and estimated tenant-paid utilities. This makes it a stronger monthly housing-cost measure than rent alone.
Can rent burden alone measure housing affordability?
No. Rent burden is one of the clearest first indicators, but it should be read with median gross rent, renter income, housing supply, vacancy, household size, transportation costs and local wage structure.
Sources
