What percentage of income goes to rent in each state? The 30% rule says you should not exceed 30%.
| # | State | Rent/Income % ▲ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Dakota | 15.7% | $64,800 | 93 | A+ | |
| #2 | Iowa | 16.1% | $63,200 | 90 | A+ | |
| #3 | Nebraska | 16.2% | $66,500 | 91 | A+ | |
| #4 | South Dakota | 16.4% | $62,100 | 91 | A+ | |
| #5 | Wyoming | 16.6% | $65,000 | 95 | A+ | |
| #6 | Minnesota | 17% | $77,700 | 97 | A+ | |
| #7 | Kansas | 17.4% | $62,100 | 89 | A+ | |
| #8 | Wisconsin | 17.6% | $64,800 | 93 | A+ | |
| #9 | Missouri | 17.7% | $61,000 | 88 | A+ | |
| #10 | Kentucky | 17.8% | $55,600 | 87 | A | |
| #11 | Arkansas | 18% | $52,100 | 84 | A | |
| #12 | Michigan | 18% | $63,400 | 89 | A | |
| #13 | Alabama | 18.1% | $56,200 | 87 | A | |
| #14 | West Virginia | 18.1% | $48,000 | 84 | A | |
| #15 | Ohio | 18.2% | $59,300 | 89 | A | |
| #16 | Oklahoma | 18.3% | $55,800 | 86 | A | |
| #17 | Indiana | 18.4% | $58,600 | 90 | A | |
| #18 | Pennsylvania | 18.6% | $67,600 | 94 | A | |
| #19 | Illinois | 19.1% | $72,200 | 93 | A | |
| #20 | Alaska | 19.3% | $77,800 | 127 | A | |
| #21 | Connecticut | 19.3% | $83,800 | 121 | A | |
| #22 | Mississippi | 19.4% | $46,500 | 83 | A | |
| #23 | New Hampshire | 19.4% | $83,300 | 112 | A | |
| #24 | Montana | 19.8% | $60,600 | 103 | A | |
| #25 | Delaware | 20% | $69,100 | 102 | B+ | |
| #26 | Rhode Island | 20.2% | $71,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #27 | New Mexico | 20.4% | $53,000 | 91 | B+ | |
| #28 | New Jersey | 20.5% | $87,700 | 121 | B+ | |
| #29 | Maryland | 20.6% | $90,200 | 118 | B+ | |
| #30 | Utah | 20.6% | $75,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #31 | Louisiana | 20.7% | $52,300 | 91 | B+ | |
| #32 | Virginia | 20.8% | $80,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #33 | Maine | 20.9% | $63,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #34 | Idaho | 21.2% | $62,300 | 97 | B+ | |
| #35 | Vermont | 21.8% | $63,400 | 110 | B+ | |
| #36 | Tennessee | 22.1% | $59,700 | 91 | B | |
| #37 | Texas | 22.3% | $67,300 | 93 | B | |
| #38 | South Carolina | 22.4% | $56,200 | 92 | B | |
| #39 | North Carolina | 22.6% | $61,000 | 95 | B | |
| #40 | Massachusetts | 22.7% | $89,700 | 135 | B | |
| #41 | Colorado | 23.2% | $80,200 | 105 | B | |
| #42 | Washington | 23.4% | $82,100 | 115 | B | |
| #43 | Oregon | 23.6% | $71,200 | 113 | B | |
| #44 | Georgia | 23.7% | $63,400 | 93 | B | |
| #45 | New York | 24.5% | $75,900 | 139 | C | |
| #46 | Arizona | 24.7% | $65,600 | 103 | C | |
| #47 | Nevada | 25.2% | $64,200 | 104 | C | |
| #48 | California | 26.1% | $84,900 | 142 | C | |
| #49 | Florida | 29.5% | $63,100 | 103 | F | |
| #50 | Hawaii | 29.7% | $84,900 | 190 | F |
Based on our analysis of rent affordability ratio across all 50 states, North Dakota ranks #1 with 15.7%, while Hawaii ranks last at 29.7%. The national average is 20%.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: 14%. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your rent affordability ratio. Use our rent affordability calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
North Dakota ranks #1 with 15.7%. Iowa and Nebraska round out the top 3.
Hawaii ranks last (#50) with 29.7%. Florida and California are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is 20%. The median is 20.2%.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.