Rent Affordability Calculator

Enter your monthly income and what you pay in rent. We'll show you what percentage of your income is going to housing and whether you're in the range that housing experts consider affordable.

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0%
of your monthly income goes to rent
Status
Rent-friendly guideline is 30% or less
To hit 30% at your current rent, income would need to be $0/mo
To hit 30% at your current income, rent would need to be $0/mo
The 30% guideline (and the "cost-burdened" / "severely cost-burdened" thresholds above 30% and 50%) come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, based on gross (pre-tax) income. It's a general benchmark, not a hard rule — your own comfortable number depends on your other bills, debt, and where you live. This tool doesn't account for other monthly debt payments, which is worth factoring in separately.

Where the 30% number actually comes from

The 30% guideline isn't arbitrary. It comes from HUD, the federal agency that oversees housing programs, and it's the same threshold used to determine eligibility for a lot of housing assistance. Spend more than 30% of your income on housing and HUD classifies you as "cost-burdened." Cross 50% and it's "severely cost-burdened," a category tied to a real, measurable increase in the odds of falling behind on other bills.

None of that means going over 30% is a crisis by itself. Someone with no debt and low fixed costs can comfortably handle a higher number than someone juggling a car payment and student loans. It's a benchmark to check yourself against, not a verdict.