Rent affordability calculator

Frequently asked questions

What is rent burden?

Rent burden is the share of gross income consumed by housing costs — typically rent plus utilities. A housing-cost ratio above 30% is often described as cost-burdened, though the right threshold depends on your total financial picture, debt load, and local cost of living.

Why does this use gross income rather than take-home pay?

Many affordability guidelines and landlord income requirements are stated as multiples of gross income, so using pre-tax income keeps the result comparable with those benchmarks. Take-home pay varies significantly depending on tax situation, so gross income is the more consistent basis for comparison.

What is the "required income" figure?

It is the gross annual income that would make your current housing cost fall at or below the target housing ratio you entered. If your actual income is below that figure, the current rent exceeds your target threshold and the gap shows how far below the target you are.

Does this include all housing costs?

The model adds rent and utilities together as the housing-cost bucket. Other recurring ownership-adjacent costs such as renters insurance or parking are not included unless you fold them into one of those fields manually.