America's Rent Crisis Spreads to Middle-Income Households
A growing number of renters earning above the poverty line are struggling with housing costs, with some facing the most significant increases in affordability burdens.
The rental affordability crisis in the United States is increasingly impacting middle-income households, pushing more families to spend a disproportionate amount of their income on housing. According to a new analysis by Enterprise Community Partners, based on the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey, over 22.6 million renter households nationwide are spending more than 30% of their income on housing, with approximately 12.1 million spending over half their earnings.
These figures indicate that nearly half of all American renters are now considered cost-burdened, a trend that persists even as rental prices have shown signs of moderating. While the lowest-income populations remain the most severely affected, the financial strain is notably spreading to those with higher incomes.
Renters earning between 60% and 80% of their area's median income experienced a 5% increase in their cost-burden rate compared to the previous year, representing the largest relative jump among income brackets. For households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income, the share spending more than half their income on rent climbed from 34% to 36% within a single year.
The data also highlights how a substantial income does not necessarily guarantee housing security in expensive markets. A household earning $100,000 per year can afford significantly less in high-cost areas like the New York metro region compared to more affordable cities.
For the poorest renters, the situation is more severe. Nearly three-quarters of households earning less than 30% of their area’s median income are severely cost-burdened, leaving minimal financial flexibility for essential expenses and emergencies. This affordability crunch has kept the proportion of cost-burdened households above pre-pandemic levels.
Further research from the Urban Institute indicates that 20% of renters between 18 and 64 years old experienced partial or late rent payments in 2025, with middle-income households increasingly facing difficulties.
The financial pressure is not confined to housing costs alone. A Pew Research Center survey revealed that 21% of Americans struggled to pay rent or a mortgage, and 27% reported an inability to cover all their monthly bills.
The burden also disproportionately affects certain demographic groups. Approximately 57% of Black renter households and 54% of Hispanic or Latino renter households allocate more than 30% of their income to housing, compared to 45% of white households and 44% of Asian households. Nearly one-third of Black renters and 29% of Hispanic renters spend over half their income on rent.
These high housing costs impede renters' ability to build emergency savings, save for a down payment on a home, or cover other necessities, potentially pushing homeownership further out of reach. National housing affordability may not return to 2018 levels until 2031, according to Redfin analysis, with some metropolitan areas facing even longer waits.
Enterprise Community Partners advocates for solutions such as expanding the supply of affordable housing, preserving existing rental units, and strengthening rental assistance programs to alleviate the escalating financial strain on renters across the income spectrum.