Rent Affordability Calculator (2026)
See the highest rent your income can comfortably carry, under the 30% rule.
Calculate Your Affordable Rent
Your total pay before taxes and deductions. Use household income if you rent together.
The share of gross income you are willing to spend on rent.
The monthly rent of the apartment you are looking at.
Electric, gas, water, internet, and any utilities not included in the rent.
How Much Rent Can You Afford at Each Rule?
The table below shows the maximum rent at each common rule on a $6,000 monthly income. Change the income above and the calculator updates your own cap instantly.
| Rule | Calculation on $6,000 income | Maximum rent |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $6,000 x 0.25 | $1,500 |
| 28% | $6,000 x 0.28 | $1,680 |
| 30% | $6,000 x 0.30 | $1,800 |
| 35% | $6,000 x 0.35 | $2,100 |
What the 30% Rule Means
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines a household as cost-burdened when it spends more than 30% of gross income on housing, and severely cost-burdened when it spends above 50%. The 30% rule turns that definition into a practical budget: multiply your gross monthly income by 0.30 and you have the rent ceiling most housing experts recommend.
Note what counts as housing cost. HUD’s definition covers rent plus utilities, so a $1,800 apartment with $150 of utilities really costs $1,950 a month. That is why this calculator shows rent plus utilities at your cap: the headline rent alone understates what leaves your bank account.
The Rent Affordability Formula
The math is simple, and it runs in both directions. Forward, it gives your cap from your income. Backward, it gives the income a given rent demands.
Target rent as % of income = target rent / gross monthly income x 100
Income required for target rent = target rent / rent rule
Worked Example: $6,000 Income, 30% Rule
With a gross monthly income of $6,000 and the standard 30% rule, the maximum affordable rent is $6,000 x 0.30 = $1,800. Add $150 of monthly utilities and the true housing cost at that cap is $1,950. A target rent of $1,800 is exactly 30.0% of income, and the income required for that rent is $1,800 / 0.30 = $6,000, so the defaults sit exactly on the cap: affordable by the rule, with no headroom.
Second Case: A $2,200 Apartment on $6,000 Income
A $2,200 target rent on the same $6,000 income takes $2,200 / $6,000 = 36.7% of gross income, which HUD would classify as cost-burdened. The income required to keep that rent within the 30% rule is $2,200 / 0.30 = $7,333.33 a month, and the rent sits $400 over the $1,800 cap. Signing that lease means finding $400 a month from savings, debt payments, or another budget line, every month, for the whole tenancy.
Landlord Income Checks: The 3x Rule and the 40x Rule
Affordability is not only your own judgment: landlords commonly require your gross income to be at least 3 times the monthly rent, which is the 30% rule restated (rent at one third of income is 33.3%, close to the 30% guideline, with a little rounding). On a $1,800 apartment that means proving $5,400 a month. In expensive cities such as New York, many landlords instead use the 40x rule: your annual income must be at least 40 times the monthly rent, so a $1,800 apartment needs $72,000 a year, or $6,000 a month.
If you fail a landlord’s income check, options include a guarantor, a larger deposit where local law allows it, proof of savings, or a cheaper apartment. Never inflate your income on an application: landlords verify it, and a rejection wastes the application fee.
When the 30% Rule Bends
The 30% rule is a guideline, not a law, and it fits some households better than others. High earners may stretch it safely, because a larger income leaves plenty of money after rent for savings, food, transport, and emergencies. Low earners may need to stay below 30%, since rent takes a bigger share of a smaller budget and leaves almost no margin for a broken car or a medical bill.
Other factors matter too. A household with no car payment and no student debt can carry a higher rent than one with $800 of monthly debt payments. A short commute that saves on transport can justify a slightly higher rent. Judge the percentage against what remains after rent, not the percentage alone, and keep an emergency fund before stretching.
