Rent Affordability Calculator
Find out how much rent you can comfortably afford based on your gross income — at the 30% rule of thumb or any other threshold.
Standard (30%)
At 30% of gross income, max recommended rent is $1,500.00/month
The 30% rule of thumb — long the standard guidance for healthy household budgeting. Most renters at this level can also save and cover normal expenses.
Rent at standard thresholds
Results update as you type. Figures are based on gross income; net (after-tax) affordability is lower. The thresholds are population-level rules of thumb, not a substitute for your full budget.
Formula
One multiplication:
max_rent = monthly_gross_income × threshold_pct / 100.
The classic threshold is 30% — popularised by US HUD in the 1980s and adopted across global
tenant-referencing convention. The four named bands (25 / 30 / 35 / 40%) are common waypoints,
not a sharp clinical threshold; pick whichever fits the rest of your fixed costs.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What's the 30% rule?▾
A US Department of Housing and Urban Development convention from the 1980s: a household is 'rent-burdened' if rent + utilities exceeds 30% of gross income, 'severely rent-burdened' above 50%. The 30% threshold has been the default rental-affordability rule for 40+ years, even though housing-cost growth has pushed huge swaths of US renters above it (especially in coastal markets).
Should I use gross or net (take-home) pay?▾
Affordability rules of thumb quote gross. Most US landlords use a 3× rent rule — they want to see gross monthly income at 3× the rent, which is the 33% threshold. For your own budgeting, the relevant question is what % of *net* pay rent represents — at federal + state tax brackets, that figure is typically ~10 percentage points higher than the gross figure. A 30% gross rent burden is more like 40% of take-home in California or New York.
Does this include utilities?▾
HUD's official rent-burden definition includes utilities; many calculators (this one included) work on rent alone for clarity. Add ~$150–$300/month for utilities, internet, and renter's insurance on top of rent for a fuller picture. In states with high heating or AC costs, that figure runs higher.
What is the 3x rent rule?▾
Most US landlords require gross monthly income at least 3× the monthly rent — equivalent to a 33% rent-to-income ratio. Some markets and luxury buildings use 3.5× or 4×. If your individual income doesn't pass, a co-signer or guarantor can typically substitute (their income usually has to clear 4–5× the rent).
What's the difference between rent burden and 'cost burden'?▾
Rent burden specifically refers to renters; cost burden includes both renters and homeowners (mortgage + property tax + insurance + utilities). HUD reports both. The 30% threshold is the same; only the cost composition differs.
Is 30% achievable in expensive cities?▾
Often not. In Manhattan, San Francisco, San Jose, and several other markets, median renter rent burden is 40%+. The honest interpretation is that the 30% rule has become aspirational rather than typical in coastal metros, and households in those markets accept higher rent burdens by economic necessity. The calculator gives you the math — your local market dictates what's actually rentable.