One in Four California Renters Spend Over Half Their Income on Rent

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Many renters in California are under severe financial strain, with housing costs—rent plus utilities—consuming more than half of the income for roughly 1 in 4 tenant households.

Recent Census Bureau housing data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. sheds light on shifting rental patterns, rising costs, and how many households are financially overwhelmed by rent.

California, home to the nation’s largest rental market with 6.1 million tenant households, also ranks No. 1 in extreme rent burden. In 2024, 1.6 million California households spent over 50% of their income on rent. Following California were Texas (998,000), New York (938,000), Florida (856,200), and Pennsylvania (388,300).

Viewed as a share of all renters, the burden is widespread: 27% of California tenants face extreme rent stress, trailing only Florida at 29% and tying with Nevada. Nationally, 24% of renters are similarly burdened. Other high-ranking states include New York (26%), Connecticut (25%), and Texas (23%, ranking 19th).

Although Californians make up 13% of the nation’s 46.1 million renter households, they account for 15% of the 10.9 million renters most affected by high housing costs.

How did we get here?

In 2024, California’s median rent (including utilities) hit $2,104 per month—60% higher than the national median of $1,319, and the highest among all states. Following behind were Hawaii ($1,942), Washington, D.C. ($1,931), Massachusetts ($1,848), and Washington state ($1,824). In contrast, Texas ranked 20th at $1,475, and Florida 7th at $1,812.

On the other end of the spectrum, the most affordable rental markets were West Virginia ($883), North Dakota ($980), Iowa ($981), Arkansas ($982), and Mississippi ($990).