What percentage of income should go to rent?
The line most people use, what it comes to on your income, what households really spend on housing, and how two incomes change it.
Checked October 26, 2026
Rent at 30% of income
| Monthly income | 30% for rent | Left for everything else |
|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $900 | $2,100 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $2,800 |
| $5,000 | $1,500 | $3,500 |
| $6,000 | $1,800 | $4,200 |
| $8,000 | $2,400 | $5,600 |
| $10,000 | $3,000 | $7,000 |
To check a place you are looking at, divide the rent by your monthly income. $1,800 on $5,000 is 36%, over the line. The 30% rent rule calculator does it for one income or two.
Where 30% comes from
It is a measuring line, not a personal budget. The Census Bureau says that, according to HUD, households are cost-burdened when they spend more than 30% of their income on rent, mortgage payments and other housing costs, and severely cost-burdened above 50%. In 2023, 49.7% of the 42.5 million renter households it measured were over the line.
What households actually spend on housing
| Household | Housing | Shelter alone |
|---|---|---|
| All households | 33.4% of spending | 20.8% |
| One person | 39% of spending | 26.5% |
The average household spent $26,266 on housing in 2024, $16,317 of it on shelter itself, out of $78,535 spent in all. People living alone put a bigger part of their spending into housing: there is no one to share the rent with.
Rent inside the whole budget
Rent is one must-have among several. Fidelity's guideline puts the must-haves (things like housing, food, health care and transportation) at no more than 60% of take-home pay. If rent alone takes 40% of take-home, the other must-haves have 20% left between them. That is the real test of a rent: whether the rest still fits.
Rent for two incomes
Say one of you takes home $5,000 a month and the other $3,000. At 30% of the $8,000 together, rent can be up to $2,400.
| Split | You pay | They pay | Share of own income |
|---|---|---|---|
| By income | $1,500 | $900 | 30% and 30% |
| 50/50 | $1,200 | $1,200 | 24% and 40% |
Split by income, each of you stays at the line. Split 50/50, the same apartment is comfortable for one and over the line for the other. The fair split calculator works it out with your numbers.
When to aim under 30%
- You are paying off debt or saving for something big. Every point under 30% is money for it.
- Your income moves. Base rent on a slow month, not an average one.
- Utilities are on top. If the rent doesn't include them, count them. See the average utility bill.
Questions people ask
What percentage of income should go to rent?
30% or less is the common line. The Census Bureau, citing HUD, calls a household cost-burdened when it spends more than 30% of income on rent, mortgage payments and other housing costs, and severely cost-burdened above 50%.
How much should you spend on rent?
Up to 30% of income. On $5,000 a month that is $1,500, and on $8,000 it is $2,400. Lower leaves more for saving; above 30% means less room for everything else.
What percentage of income should go to housing?
The same 30% line covers all housing costs, not only rent. In 2024, housing was 33.4% of what the average U.S. household spent, the biggest part of any budget, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How much of my paycheck should go to rent?
If you measure against take-home pay, 30% of your paycheck is a stricter test than 30% of salary. Fidelity's guideline puts all must-haves, rent included, at no more than 60% of take-home, so rent has to leave room for food, transport and insurance inside that.
How much of your salary should go towards rent with a partner?
Add both incomes and take 30%. Splitting rent by income keeps each of you at the same share of your own pay; splitting 50/50 puts more of the smaller income on rent.
How many renters pay more than 30%?
About half. In 2023, 49.7% of the 42.5 million renter households for whom it is measured spent more than 30% of income on housing, per the Census Bureau.
Sources
5 sources · read October 26, 2026
Every number on this page comes from census.gov, bls.gov and fidelity.com. If a source has changed since, the source is right.
- 1U.S. Census Bureau: Nearly Half of Renter Households Are Cost-Burdened (CB24-150, September 12, 2024)census.gov
- 2U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Expenditures, 2024 (USDL-25-1586, December 19, 2025)bls.gov
- 3U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Expenditure Surveys, Table 1400, Size of consumer unit, 2024 (Excel)bls.gov
- 4Fidelity: Fidelity's easy budgeting guideline (January 5, 2026)fidelity.com
- 5Fidelity: How much car can I afford? (its budgeting guideline lists housing, food, health care and transportation as must-haves)fidelity.com
Wonderful gives general information. It isn't a financial or tax advisor.