US Cities by Rent Burden, 2026
Where Rent Takes the Largest Share of Income in Major U.S. Metro Areas
Rent burden measures how many renter households spend at least 30% of household income on gross rent and utilities. It is one of the clearest indicators of rental affordability because it connects housing costs with local incomes, not just monthly rent levels.
This 2026 ranking uses the latest available ACS 2024 5-Year estimates for major metro areas anchored by U.S. cities. The figures are ACS estimates, not real-time 2026 measurements. They show where renter cost pressure is highest among large metropolitan rental markets.
Key findings
Overview: where renter cost pressure is highest
The highest rent-burden rates are concentrated in Florida, Southern California, Nevada and Hawaii. These markets combine strong rental demand with income gaps that leave many renter households spending a large share of income on housing.
Miami stands apart at the top of the ranking. Nearly two-thirds of renter-occupied units in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro area are cost-burdened. Orlando, Cape Coral and North Port follow closely, showing that Florida’s affordability challenge extends well beyond one expensive urban core.
California’s presence shows a different affordability pattern. Riverside has a lower median gross rent than San Diego or Oxnard, but a higher rent-burden rate. That gap shows why rent burden is more informative than rent alone: renter incomes matter as much as monthly housing costs.
Top 10 major U.S. metro areas by rent burden
The ranking is based on the share of renter-occupied housing units spending 30% or more of household income on gross rent and utilities. Median gross rent is shown as context and is not used to determine rank.
| Rank | Metro area | Rent burden | Median gross rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 64.2% | $1,869 |
| 2 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 60.1% | $1,760 |
| 3 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 60.0% | $1,712 |
| 4 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 59.9% | $1,747 |
| 5 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 59.0% | $1,846 |
| 6 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 58.8% | $2,317 |
| 7 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 58.0% | $1,628 |
| 8 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 57.8% | $2,246 |
| 9 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 57.7% | $1,626 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | 57.7% | $2,083 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates, Tables B25070 and B25064. Values are latest available ACS estimates for major metro areas and are used as a 2026 ranking snapshot.
Chart: renter cost burden in the Top 10 metro areas
The chart compares the share of renter-occupied units spending at least 30% of income on gross rent and utilities. Miami is the clear outlier, while the rest of the Top 10 cluster between 57.7% and 60.1%.
Values show the percent of renter-occupied housing units spending 30% or more of household income on gross rent and utilities.
Methodology
Rent burden is calculated from Census ACS Table B25070, Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months. The universe is renter-occupied housing units. Gross rent includes contract rent plus utility and fuel costs when those costs are paid by the renter.
The cost-burdened renter share is the percentage of renter-occupied units where gross rent equals 30% or more of household income. The 30% threshold is widely used in U.S. housing affordability analysis because it identifies households whose rent payment can crowd out other essential expenses.
For the B25070 calculation, the numerator includes renter-occupied units in the 30.0–34.9%, 35.0–39.9%, 40.0–49.9% and 50.0% or more categories. The denominator excludes units where the rent-to-income ratio was not computed. Median gross rent comes from ACS Table B25064 and is used only as a context measure.
The page uses ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates as the latest available Census snapshot for a 2026 ranking page. ACS estimates are survey-based and include sampling uncertainty, so small gaps between nearby metro areas should be interpreted as approximate differences rather than exact administrative counts.
Geography is reported at the metropolitan statistical area level. This makes the comparison suitable for broad city-market analysis but not for municipal boundary comparisons. A city-limit ranking should be calculated separately from ACS place-level records.
Ranking table: rent-burdened renters by major metro area
Search and filters help compare the listed metro areas by location, rent-burden rate and median gross rent. The underlying table rows are written directly in the HTML.
| Rank | Metro area | Rent burden | Median gross rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 64.2% | $1,869 |
| 2 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 60.1% | $1,760 |
| 3 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 60.0% | $1,712 |
| 4 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 59.9% | $1,747 |
| 5 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 59.0% | $1,846 |
| 6 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 58.8% | $2,317 |
| 7 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 58.0% | $1,628 |
| 8 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 57.8% | $2,246 |
| 9 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 57.7% | $1,626 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | 57.7% | $2,083 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates, Tables B25070 and B25064. Rent burden is the share of renter-occupied housing units spending 30% or more of household income on gross rent and utilities.
Insights
Florida is the clearest geographic pattern in the ranking. Six of the ten listed metro areas are in the state, and Miami leads by a visible margin. The pattern reflects the interaction of rapid population growth, strong rental demand, limited affordable supply in many submarkets and renter incomes that have not kept pace with housing costs.
California appears through both inland and coastal markets. Riverside ranks above San Diego and Oxnard despite having a lower median gross rent, showing that rent burden depends on income as well as housing costs. A lower rent level does not automatically mean better affordability.
Honolulu and Las Vegas highlight two additional pressure points. Honolulu reflects a high-cost island market with structural supply limits, while Las Vegas reflects fast migration, a large renter base and a wage distribution that leaves many households exposed to rent increases.
What this means for renters, workers and local markets
For renters, high rent burden means less income remains for transportation, food, health care, child care, savings and emergency expenses. A household can be current on rent and still face financial stress if housing costs consume too much of monthly income.
For workers and families comparing cities, the ranking shows why relocation decisions should include both rent and local pay. A market with lower advertised rents can still be difficult if wages are low, while a higher-rent metro can be more manageable for workers in higher-income sectors.
For employers, planners and housing investors, rent burden is a signal of labor-market and affordability strain. High burden can affect workforce retention, commute patterns, housing demand, rental assistance needs and the long-term stability of local communities.
FAQ
What does rent burden mean?
Rent burden means that gross rent and utilities take a large share of household income. The standard benchmark for cost burden is 30% or more of income. Severe rent burden usually begins at 50% or more.
Is this actual 2026 data?
No. This is a 2026 ranking page based on the latest available ACS 2024 5-Year estimates. ACS estimates are released after the survey period and should be read as a statistical snapshot, not real-time 2026 data.
Why does the table use metro areas instead of city limits?
Metro areas capture broad city housing markets, including suburbs and nearby communities where many renters live and work. Municipal city-limit rankings require a separate place-level calculation and should not be mixed with metro-area estimates.
Is median gross rent used to rank the metros?
No. The ranking is based on the share of renter-occupied units spending 30% or more of household income on gross rent and utilities. Median gross rent is included only to show the approximate rent level in each market.
Why can a metro with lower rent rank above a metro with higher rent?
Rent burden depends on both rent and income. If renter incomes are relatively low, a moderate-rent market can still produce a high burden rate. If renter incomes are higher, an expensive market may be less burdened than expected.
Are homeowners included?
No. The ranking focuses on renter-occupied housing units. Homeowner cost burden is measured separately because mortgages, property taxes, insurance, condo fees and home equity make owner costs different from rent.
Sources
-
U.S. Census Bureau — ACS Table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months.
Used for the official rent-burden categories and renter-occupied housing unit universe.
https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B25070 -
U.S. Census Bureau — ACS Table B25064: Median Gross Rent.
Used for median gross rent context in the ranking table.
https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B25064 -
U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2024 5-Year Detailed Tables.
Used for geographic coverage, ACS estimate context and table availability.
https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-5year/2024.html -
U.S. Census Bureau — ACS Technical Documentation.
Used for interpretation of ACS estimates, sampling uncertainty and methodology.
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/technical-documentation.html
