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How much rent
you can carry.

Your income, your other monthly payments and who lives with you. See the rent to aim for, the line where rent starts to squeeze everything else, what landlords will ask for, and what is left each month.

The 30% line · The 40x rule · Debts and rent within 36% · What is left, per person

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Rent to aim for, a month

$2,350

Comfortable range

$1,950–$2,350

Cost-burdened above

$2,375

Left a month

$3,150

Rent as a share of your income Comfortable rangeRent you entered

Your household

$/yr
$/mo
Car, cards, student loans: the minimums.
people
Fine-tune 3 more inputs
$/mo
An example. Your pay stubs have the real number, or the take-home pay tool works it out.
$/mo
Your rent now, or a place you are looking at.
$/mo
Food, utilities, tuition, transport. The budget planner adds it up.

What is left after rent

The lines that matter

Aim for, or less

$2,350

30% of income before tax
Rent and debts within 36%
40x rule: up to
Over half: severely cost-burdened

Illustration only. The 30% and 50% lines are measures researchers and HUD use, not limits a landlord must apply. The 40x rule is a common landlord practice, not a law; some ask for less, some for more, and some count a guarantor. Utilities and renters insurance come on top of rent.

Figures checked November 2026. Sources: Congressional Research Service, Measuring Housing Affordability (Oct 2026): 30% and 50% · CRS, Federal Rental Assistance and Affordability (Aug 2026), from HUD data · Bankrate, the 28/36 rule.

Three rules, one answer.

30% of income

  • The line researchers use. Above 30% of income before tax, a household counts as cost-burdened; above half, severely.
  • It is a ceiling, not a target. A large family or high tuition can make 30% too much.

40 times the rent

  • What landlords check. Many want yearly income of at least 40 times the monthly rent.
  • Same line, other side. 40 times the rent is the rent at 30% of income: 0.30 ÷ 12 = 1 ÷ 40.

Debts count too

  • Rent plus payments within 36%. The rule of thumb lenders use for all debt works for renters as well.
  • So a car payment lowers the rent. Every $100 of payments is $100 less rent.