Skip to main content
Data analyzed by

State Health Compare

Percent of cost-burdened rental households

Measure Overview

Millions of Americans struggle to pay rent as U.S. housing costs continue to rise. This cost burden limits the amount of money that individuals can spend on other necessities, such as groceries, transportation, and health care services. Unaffordable rent prices can also cause psychological and emotional distress in individuals who must seek more affordable alternative housing, whether by choice or due to eviction. Understanding which populations are at increased risk of experiencing unaffordable rent can improve efforts to assist renters in securing and maintaining housing.

State Health Compare provides state-level data on unaffordable rents based on findings from the American Community Survey (ACS). The data are available across the following breakdowns: disability status, household income, Medicaid enrollment, metropolitan status, and race (white or non-white).

Generate customized graphics using this data by selecting one of the options below.

Related Products

snapshot of infographic found in blog

Housing Affordability in the United States: Exploring Unaffordable Rent in 2024 Using State Health Compare (Plus Accompanying Infographics)

In this blog, SHADAC researchers explore and analyze the impact of unaffordable rent in the United States by state, disability status, income level, and more using SHADAC’s data tool, State Health Compare. We also examine national trends from the last five years and take a look at some differences by state.



unaffordable rents in the US bar chart; medicaid enrolled rate 58.9%; no medicaid, 42.5%

Connecting Housing and Health: Unaffordable Rent in the U.S. in 2023 (SHC Data Highlight)

Housing affordability is a key social determinant of health. Housing and health are connected – in this blog, we take a look at housing affordability in the U.S. by state and subpopulation.