December 01, 2019

Data released from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey estimates that 40.6% of the U.S.’s 43.8 million renters in 2018 are burdened by housing costs.

For the analysis of the data, the U.S. Census Bureau defines “burdened” as households that spend at least 35% of their monthly income on housing costs. For renters, this includes rent and utilities.

For homeowners, this includes mortgage payments, utility bills, property taxes and insurance, and any other fees associated with homeownership.

In 2018, 20.9% of the nation’s homeowners with a mortgage were burdened, which is down from 10 years ago when the figure was 28.8%.