The Fact
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, using U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data, estimated that 21.6 million U.S. households were severely housing-cost burdened in 2024. That was 16% of all households, meaning they spent more than half their income on housing.
What This Means
About one in six households spent more than half of everything it earned just on keeping a roof overhead. That leaves less than half for food, transportation, health care, childcare and everything else.
Sources
- Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Housing Unaffordability Soared to New Highs in 2024, based on U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data.