Updated
Updated · Arizona Big Media · Aug 14
Zillow Says 54.1% of U.S. Renter Families With Children Are Rent-Burdened
Updated
Updated · Arizona Big Media · Aug 14

Zillow Says 54.1% of U.S. Renter Families With Children Are Rent-Burdened

2 articles · Updated · Arizona Big Media · Aug 14

Summary

  • 54.1% of U.S. renter families with children spend more than 30% of income on rent, above the 49.7% share for all renters, Zillow and StreetEasy said from Census survey data.
  • 31.7% of family households with children rent their homes, but family-sized options are scarce: 37% of July listings had two bedrooms and 24.4% had three or more.
  • Miami shows the squeeze even for higher earners: 67% of renter families are burdened there, where median family income is $100,000 and a two-bedroom rental costs $31,200 a year.
  • New York City has the highest share of renter families at 66.7%, yet only 48.1% of July listings had multiple bedrooms; 53.4% of renter families there were burdened as two-bedroom rent hit $57,000 annually.
  • Zillow ties the pressure to a 4.7 million-home deficit from years of underbuilding and says zoning limits and permitting delays are blocking more multibedroom rentals.

Insights

With 14.5 million vacant homes in the U.S., why are millions of renters still trapped in a severe housing shortage?
Cities like Austin proved building surges lower rents, so what hidden forces are stopping other major metros from doing the same?
Could the severe shortage of multi-bedroom apartments permanently alter family sizes and lower fertility rates across the nation?