Renter and Landlord Statistics (2026)
Roughly a third of US households rent their home, and nearly half of them spend more than 30% of their income on housing. This page collects the latest renter and landlord figures from the Census Bureau, HUD, the Federal Reserve, Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies and other sources.
Every statistic below names its source and the year the data refers to, with a direct quote from the original publication. Use it to understand rent levels, affordability, who owns rental housing and how often renters fall behind.
40 statistics, each linked to its source. Updated .
Key statistics
- In 2024, there were 46 million renter households in the United States, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition's analysis of Census data.
- 46 million
- National Low Income Housing Coalition, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes (March 2026)
- The US median gross rent (rent plus utilities) was $1,487 in 2024, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
- $1,487
- U.S. Census Bureau, The Cost of Homeownership Continues to Rise (Release CB25-147)
- A record 22.7 million US renter households were cost burdened in 2024, spending more than 30% of income on housing, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.
- 22.7 million
- National Low Income Housing Coalition (summarizing Harvard JCHS), JCHS's 2026 State of the Nation's Housing Report Finds Cost Burdens for Renters Continue to Rise Amid Cooling Demand and Housing Market Uncertainty
- In 2021, about 70% of US rental properties were owned by individual investors, according to HUD and the Census Bureau's Rental Housing Finance Survey.
- 70%
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD and Census Bureau Release Findings of 2021 Rental Housing Finance Survey
- The US rental vacancy rate was 7.3% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau.
- 7.3%
- U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026
How many Americans rent their homes?
In 2024, there were 46 million renter households in the United States, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition's analysis of Census data.
National Low Income Housing Coalition, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes (March 2026)
The US homeownership rate was 65.0% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026
In the second quarter of 2026, only 35.2% of householders under age 35 owned their home, according to the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026
In 2025, 27% of US adults rented their home, according to the Federal Reserve.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Housing
In 2024, 68% of renters said they rent because they cannot afford a down payment, according to the Federal Reserve.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024: Housing
In 2024, 42% of renters said they rent because they cannot qualify for a home mortgage, according to the Federal Reserve.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024: Housing
What is the median rent in the US?
The US median gross rent (rent plus utilities) was $1,487 in 2024, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau, The Cost of Homeownership Continues to Rise (Release CB25-147)
The median asking rent for vacant rental units was $1,531 in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026
The median monthly rent reported by US renters was $1,200 in 2025, according to the Federal Reserve.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Housing
The national Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom rental home is $1,806 in 2026, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition's analysis of HUD data.
Rents nationwide fell 0.5% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.
The number of US units renting for under $1,000 per month fell by 30% between 2014 and 2024, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.
How many renters are cost burdened?
A record 22.7 million US renter households were cost burdened in 2024, spending more than 30% of income on housing, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.
In 2023, 56.2% of Black renter households were cost burdened, according to the Census Bureau.
In 2023, 53.2% of Hispanic renter households were cost burdened, according to the Census Bureau.
In 2024, 74% of extremely low-income renter households were severely cost burdened, spending more than half their income on rent and utilities, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
National Low Income Housing Coalition, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes (March 2026)
In 2024, the US had a shortage of 7.2 million rental homes affordable and available to extremely low-income renters, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
National Low Income Housing Coalition, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes (March 2026)
A full-time worker needs to earn $34.73 per hour in 2026 to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
The average hourly wage earned by US renters is $24.84 in 2026, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Who owns rental housing: individual landlords or corporations?
In 2021, 67% of US rental properties with 150 or more units were owned by limited liability corporations or partnerships, according to HUD and the Census Bureau.
In 2021, about 22% of small rental properties (1 to 4 units) were professionally managed, according to HUD and the Census Bureau.
In 2021, the median monthly rental receipt per US rental unit was $1,000, according to HUD and the Census Bureau's Rental Housing Finance Survey.
In 2021, about 41% of US rental properties had a mortgage or similar debt, according to HUD and the Census Bureau.
In 2024, the US had an estimated 18,965,000 rental properties, according to the Rental Housing Finance Survey from HUD and the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau and HUD, 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey Infographic
What is the rental vacancy rate in the US?
The US rental vacancy rate was 7.3% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026
The South had the highest regional rental vacancy rate, 9.5%, in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026
The West had a rental vacancy rate of 5.3% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026
The rental vacancy rate in principal cities was 8.0% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026
How many renters fall behind on rent or face eviction?
In 2025, 23% of US renters had been behind on rent at some point in the past year, according to the Federal Reserve.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Housing
In 2025, 2% of US renters moved in the prior year because of an eviction or threat of eviction, according to the Federal Reserve.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Housing
Over the past year (as of October 2026), 53% of people facing eviction in the locations monitored by Princeton's Eviction Lab were women.
Eviction Lab, Princeton University, Eviction Tracking System
Frequently asked questions
How many renter households are there in the US?
There were 46 million renter households in the United States in 2024, making up 35% of all households, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition's analysis of Census data.
What is the median rent in the US?
The median gross rent, including utilities, was $1,487 in 2024 according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The median asking rent for vacant units was $1,531 in the second quarter of 2026.
How many renters are cost burdened?
A record 22.7 million renter households, or 49% of renters, spent more than 30% of their income on housing in 2024, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Do individuals or corporations own most rental housing?
Individual investors owned about 70% of US rental properties in 2021, but those properties held only 38% of rental units. Limited liability corporations and partnerships owned 15% of properties with 40% of units, according to HUD and the Census Bureau.
What is the current rental vacancy rate?
The national rental vacancy rate was 7.3% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau, with the South highest at 9.5%.
Cite this page
You are welcome to use these statistics. Please cite the original source of each number and link to this page:
Oakclause. "Renter and Landlord Statistics (2026)." Updated October 2026. https://www.oakclause.com/statistics/renter-and-landlord-statistics
How we compiled these statistics
Every number comes from a published source that we opened and checked, mostly government agencies, academic research and established surveys. Each statement names the year the data refers to, and we keep the newest edition we could find. We do not combine numbers from different sources into new figures. Read our editorial policy.
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