HUD FY2026 + Census income · National ranking

Most Rent-Burdened Counties in the US

Counties where rent consumes the highest share of household income. The most-burdened county spends 71.2% of median income on a 2-bedroom, far past the 30% cost-burden line.

21.7%
National avg burden (2BR)
169
Counties above 30% - of 3,142
5%
Share of counties burdened

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), rent burden is highest where Fair Market Rent claims the largest slice of local income. Of the 3,145 counties ranked for FY 2026, Bronx County tops the list at 71.2% of median household income on a 2-bedroom, well past the federal 30% cost-burden line. See our methodology for how burden is computed from HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median-income data.

National Avg Burden
21.7%
2-bedroom FMR ÷ income
Counties Above 30%
169
of 3,142 total
% Counties Burdened
5%
exceed 30% threshold

Top 10 most rent-burdened counties by 2-bedroom burden

Annual 2-bedroom FMR as a share of median household income

% of income

What this shows Bronx County carries the heaviest rent burden in the nation. Tourist, college, and high-cost coastal counties dominate the top of the list.

Source HUD FY2026 FMR + U.S. Census Bureau median household income As of FY2026

Top 100 Most Rent-Burdened Counties

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Bronx County $2,655 $2,910 65% 71.2%
2 Randolph County $783 $1,028 37% 48.5%
3 Santa Cruz County $3,298 $4,214 36.2% 46.3%
4 Kings County $2,655 $2,910 40.6% 44.5%
5 Greene County $869 $1,140 33.1% 43.4%
6 Miami-Dade County $1,995 $2,436 34.9% 42.6%
7 Presidio County $811 $1,015 33.5% 42%
8 Jackson County $826 $929 37.1% 41.8%
9 Prairie County $1,208 $1,548 32.1% 41.1%
10 Queens County $2,655 $2,910 37.5% 41.1%
11 Hopewell city $1,507 $1,655 37.1% 40.8%
12 Petersburg city $1,507 $1,655 35.6% 39.1%
13 Santa Barbara County $2,746 $3,124 34.3% 39.1%
14 Glades County $1,117 $1,252 34.5% 38.6%
15 Suffolk County $2,476 $2,941 32% 38%
16 Torrance County $1,185 $1,464 30.7% 38%
17 Broward County $1,900 $2,333 30.6% 37.6%
18 Hernando County $1,696 $1,977 32.2% 37.5%
19 Baltimore city $1,511 $1,857 30.4% 37.4%
20 Clayton County $1,660 $1,820 34% 37.3%
21 Brooks County $778 $973 29.8% 37.3%
22 Jeff Davis County $811 $1,015 29.8% 37.3%
23 Tunica County $1,073 $1,186 33.5% 37.1%
24 Hudson County $2,458 $2,763 32.8% 36.8%
25 Jasper County $1,660 $1,820 33.4% 36.7%
26 Monroe County $2,211 $2,504 32.2% 36.5%
27 Lake County $705 $925 27.7% 36.4%
28 Spalding County $1,660 $1,820 33.1% 36.3%
29 Butte County $1,094 $1,304 30.3% 36.2%
30 Wolfe County $683 $866 28.2% 35.8%
31 Philadelphia County $1,520 $1,810 30.1% 35.8%
32 Cannon County $1,578 $1,730 32.6% 35.7%
33 Los Angeles County $2,085 $2,601 28.5% 35.6%
34 Essex County $2,476 $2,941 29.9% 35.5%
35 Richmond County $2,655 $2,910 32.4% 35.5%
36 East Carroll Parish $647 $834 27.4% 35.3%
37 Gadsden County $1,204 $1,352 31.4% 35.2%
38 Pasco County $1,696 $1,977 30.2% 35.2%
39 Hancock County $770 $973 27.8% 35.2%
40 San Diego County $2,459 $3,001 28.8% 35.2%
41 Apache County $903 $1,175 26.9% 35%
42 Dimmit County $888 $973 31.9% 34.9%
43 Portsmouth city $1,512 $1,713 30.8% 34.9%
44 McDowell County $662 $869 26.5% 34.8%
45 Heard County $1,660 $1,820 31.7% 34.7%
46 Kalawao County $1,899 $2,492 26.4% 34.7%
47 Hancock County $844 $925 31.7% 34.7%
48 Lowndes County $870 $1,016 29.7% 34.7%
49 Greater Bridgeport Planning Region $2,100 $2,511 28.9% 34.6%
50 Issaquena County $713 $842 29.2% 34.5%
51 Essex County $1,822 $2,205 28.5% 34.5%
52 Osceola County $1,731 $1,972 30.2% 34.4%
53 Holmes County $768 $842 31.3% 34.3%
54 Allendale County $823 $902 31.3% 34.2%
55 Orange County $2,746 $3,236 29% 34.2%
56 Monterey County $2,232 $2,684 28.3% 34.1%
57 Glacier County $1,033 $1,275 27.5% 33.9%
58 Hale County $972 $1,169 28.2% 33.9%
59 Lake County $1,731 $1,972 29.7% 33.8%
60 Pinellas County $1,696 $1,977 29% 33.8%
61 Owsley County $683 $866 26.4% 33.5%
62 Stewart County $843 $973 28.9% 33.4%
63 New York County $2,655 $2,910 30.5% 33.4%
64 Palm Beach County $1,901 $2,254 28.1% 33.3%
65 Gates County $1,513 $1,709 29.5% 33.3%
66 Owyhee County $1,381 $1,655 27.7% 33.2%
67 Maui County $2,000 $2,624 25.2% 33.1%
68 Coconino County $1,727 $1,921 29.7% 33.1%
69 Lee County $740 $939 26% 33%
70 Broadwater County $1,595 $1,748 30.1% 33%
71 Mineral County $1,062 $1,393 25.2% 33%
72 Hunt County $1,648 $1,931 28.2% 33%
73 Sonoma County $2,155 $2,827 25.1% 33%
74 Trousdale County $1,578 $1,730 30% 32.9%
75 Bethel Census Area $1,719 $1,938 29.2% 32.9%
76 Fairfield County $1,164 $1,276 29.7% 32.6%
77 Brantley County $1,105 $1,293 27.7% 32.5%
78 Franklin County $1,651 $2,140 25.1% 32.5%
79 Crowley County $982 $1,289 24.8% 32.5%
80 Caldwell County $1,562 $1,852 27.4% 32.4%
81 Hawaii County $1,603 $2,076 24.9% 32.3%
82 Ocean County $1,889 $2,328 26.2% 32.3%
83 San Luis Obispo County $1,914 $2,512 24.6% 32.3%
84 Lee County $1,638 $1,961 26.9% 32.2%
85 Lanier County $921 $1,192 24.9% 32.2%
86 Copiah County $1,097 $1,288 27.4% 32.2%
87 San Benito County $2,212 $2,902 24.5% 32.2%
88 Bell County $790 $866 29.3% 32.1%
89 Madison County $1,429 $1,567 29.2% 32.1%
90 Oglala Lakota County $708 $929 24.4% 32.1%
91 Norfolk city $1,512 $1,713 28.3% 32.1%
92 San Bernardino County $1,777 $2,201 25.9% 32.1%
93 Passaic County $2,024 $2,324 27.9% 32%
94 Zapata County $751 $973 24.7% 32%
95 Costilla County $742 $973 24.4% 32%
96 Sequatchie County $1,263 $1,390 29% 31.9%
97 Nelson County $1,602 $1,824 28.1% 31.9%
98 Sierra County $765 $1,004 24.3% 31.8%
99 Bennett County $901 $1,182 24.3% 31.8%
100 Mendocino County $1,306 $1,713 24.2% 31.8%
Cheapest rent → Most expensive → Rent growth →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is rent burden? ▼
Rent burden is the percentage of household income spent on rent. It is calculated as (annual rent ÷ median household income) × 100. HUD considers households spending more than 30% of income on rent to be "cost burdened."
What percentage of income on rent is considered burdened? ▼
The standard threshold is 30%. Households spending 30-50% of income on rent are considered "cost burdened." Those spending more than 50% are "severely cost burdened."
How many US counties are rent burdened in FY 2026? ▼
Of 3,142 counties with available data, 169 (5%) have a 2-bedroom rent burden above 30%. The national average rent burden is 21.7%.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income estimates. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.