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Rent Affordability Calculator

See a rent range from gross income. Thirty percent is the starting share, and you can change it.

Use it when you want a rent ceiling from gross income before you sign a lease.

How much rent can I afford?

How this calculator works

Your budget

Suggested maximum rent

$1,800.00/ month

About $1,800.00 per month.

Estimate from the numbers you entered.

30.0%
25% of gross income
$1,500.00
30% of gross income
$1,800.00
35% of gross income
$2,100.00
Room under a 36% total-debt guideline
$1,960.00

Breakdown

Breakdown
LabelValue
25% of gross income$1,500.00
30% of gross income$1,800.00
35% of gross income$2,100.00
Room under a 36% total-debt guideline$1,960.00

At 30% of gross income, a planning maximum is $1,800.00 a month before utilities unless they are included in rent.

Compare scenarios

How we calculated this

Suggested rent is gross monthly income multiplied by the share you choose. The 25%, 30%, and 35% rows are there so you can see the band around the common 30% planning rule.

What does this mean?

At 30% of gross income, a planning maximum is $1,800.00 a month before utilities unless they are included in rent.

Your assumptions

Edit assumptions
Annual income
$72,000
Monthly debt
$200.00
Rent share
30%

This calculator provides an estimate for planning. Lease terms, local rules, and landlord requirements may vary.

Embed

Paste this iframe to show the calculator on another page. Taller results scroll inside the frame.

<iframe src="https://myhousingiq.com/embed/rent-affordability-calculator" title="Rent Affordability Calculator" width="100%" height="900" style="border:0;max-width:1080px;"></iframe>

How the estimate is calculated

Suggested rent is monthly gross income times the share you choose.

The page also shows 25%, 30%, and 35%, plus what is left under a 36% total-debt guideline after the debts you enter.

Rent share

Maximum rent equals annual income divided by 12, times the rent share.

Example

  1. Enter gross income before taxes.
  2. Leave 30% or pick another share.
  3. Compare that rent with the debt-aware line.

With the numbers filled in on this page, the estimate is $1,800.00 per month.

What changes the result

Gross versus take-home

The 30% rule uses gross income. Your bank account sees take-home pay, which is smaller.

Debts

Car and student payments do not change the 30% line. They do change the 36% check.

Utilities

If utilities are extra, the rent that fits the budget is lower than this number.

Questions

Is 30% a rule?

It is a common planning guideline, not a limit a landlord must follow.

Should I use household income?

Use the income of the people who will pay the rent.

Does this include utilities?

No. It is rent only.

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