Affordable rent

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), individuals should spend no more than 30% of their income on housing. In 2023, half (50%) of renters in the U.S. spent 30% or more of their income on rent (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019-2023c). This metric is a key indicator that determines a person’s or household’s ability to afford living in a home, and the degree to which their income spent on rent is too high and unsustainable long term.

Lenawee County was below both the state and national rates of the number of people exceeding the 30% threshold in 2019. However, as of 2023 that number has risen 5% and appears to be increasing at faster rate than the state or national averages. Given the housing-stock shortages and increasing numbers of individuals experiencing homelessness in the county, this is an important metric to monitor as an indicator of housing affordability — especially as it relates to other costs of living and incomes.