What is Rent Burden?

Rent burden is the percentage of a household's income spent on housing costs, and it serves as the most fundamental measure of housing affordability. Rent burden is calculated using this formula:

The federal government considers housing affordable when it costs no more than 30% of household income, meaning families spending above this threshold are considered rent burdened and those spending over 50% are severely rent burdened. We're starting with rent burden because it's the clearest indicator of economic pressure facing renters and the foundation upon which all other housing instability builds. When families are forced to spend 40%, 50%, or even 60% of their income just to keep a roof over their heads, they have almost nothing left for food, healthcare, transportation, or emergencies, creating a constant state of financial precarity. Understanding the geography of rent burden across NYC reveals which neighborhoods and boroughs face the most severe affordability challenges and shows the stark relationship between income levels and housing costs. This dashboard exposes the economic squeeze at the heart of the housing crisis, demonstrating that for many New Yorkers, the math simply doesn't work anymore, setting the stage for understanding why the loss of rent-stabilized housing and rising evictions are such urgent threats to housing stability.