Comprehensive data for the most affordable and least affordable places in the U.S. is published each year by an affordable housing non-profit organization, the National Low Income Housing Coalition.[1] The NLIHC promotes a guideline of 30% of household income as the upper limit of affordability.
Under this definition, most people in the United States have secured affordable housing arrangements. In 2001, the median household paid $658 per month in total housing costs.[2] A total of 20% of households are deemed to be living in unaffordable housing: Nine percent of all households are renters in unaffordable housing,[3] and eleven percent of all households are homeowners with high housing costs.[4]
In the 2000 U.S. Census, the median homeowner with a mortgage (70% of homeowners and 48% of census respondents) spent $1,088 each month, or 21.7% of household income, on housing costs.[5] The median homeowner without a mortgage (30% of all homeowners (80% of elderly homeowners) and 20% of respondents) spent $295 per month, or 10.5% of household income, on housing costs.[5] Renters in 2001 (32% of respondents) spent $633 each month, or 29% of household income, on housing costs.[6]