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Rent Affordability Calculator (28% & 30% Rule)

How much rent can you afford? Applies the 28%, 30%, or 40% rule to gross income and estimates net take-home after taxes, with a traffic-light verdict on rent-to-net ratio.

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Find out how much rent you can actually afford. This calculator applies the classic 28%, 30%, or 40% rule to your gross monthly income and shows your estimated take-home pay after federal tax, state tax, and FICA, plus a verdict on whether the resulting rent burden is comfortable, tight, or unaffordable.

The calculator multiplies gross monthly income by your chosen rule (0.28, 0.30, or 0.40) to get the maximum recommended rent, then subtracts existing monthly debt payments. It estimates federal tax using 2026 brackets and the $15,750 / $31,500 standard deduction, adds 7.65% FICA (Social Security + Medicare), and applies a flat state tax rate (0% in TX/FL/WA/NV/TN/AK/SD/WY/NH, around 5% in most other states, up to 9% in CA/NY/OR/HI/MN). Worked example: $6,000 gross/mo in Texas, single filer, with $400/mo of existing debts. Annual gross is $72,000. Standard deduction leaves $56,250 taxable, federal tax is roughly $7,665, FICA is about $5,508, and Texas state tax is $0 - so net take-home is about $4,900/mo. The 30% rule recommends roughly $1,800/mo for rent, which is about 37% of net - a green-light verdict.

Disclaimer: Rough US estimate using 2026 federal brackets and approximate flat state rates. Actual after-tax pay depends on 401(k) contributions, HSA, health insurance premiums, local/city taxes, and other benefits. Not tax, legal, or housing advice - confirm with a CPA or financial planner before signing a lease.

Rent Affordability Calculator (28% & 30% Rule)

Figure out how much rent you can actually afford. Uses the 28%, 30%, or 40% rule applied to your gross monthly income, plus an estimate of your take-home pay after federal tax, state tax, and FICA.

Gross Monthly Income ($)

Existing Monthly Debts ($)Student loans, car payment, credit card minimums.

State

Filing Status

Affordability Rule28% is conservative, 30% is standard, 40% is high cost-of-living (NYC/SF).

Max Recommended Rent

$1,400/mo

28% rule$1,680/mo

30% rule$1,800/mo

40% rule$2,400/mo

Estimated Net Take-Home$4,934/mo

Rent as % of Net Income28.4%

VerdictComfortable - under 40% of net.

How the Rent Rules Actually Work

The "30% rule" comes from a 1969 amendment to the US Housing Act, codified by HUD. Households spending more than 30% of gross income on housing are officially classified as "cost-burdened"; more than 50% is "severely cost-burdened." Most landlords and lenders still anchor to this number when they ask whether a tenant or borrower can afford a place.

In high cost-of-living metros - NYC, San Francisco, Boston, LA - the median renter spends 40-50% of income on rent, well past the HUD threshold. The market simply has not delivered enough housing at the 30% level, so people stretch. If you choose to live in one of these cities, treat 35-40% as the realistic ceiling and aggressively cut other categories (car, dining out, subscriptions) to make the math work.

A cleaner framework is the 50/30/20 budget: 50% of net income on needs (rent + utilities + groceries + transport), 30% on wants, 20% on savings and debt payoff. Inside the 50% needs bucket, rent itself should ideally sit around 25-30% of net. Separately, most US landlords require gross monthly income of 2.5x-3x the monthly rent before they will sign a lease - that is a screening rule, not an affordability rule.

Rough US estimate using 2026 federal brackets and approximate flat state rates. Actual take-home depends on 401(k), HSA, health insurance, local/city taxes, and benefits. Not tax or housing advice.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 30% rule for rent?

Spend no more than 30% of your gross monthly income on rent. It traces back to a 1969 amendment to the US Housing Act and is the line HUD uses to define a 'cost-burdened' household. Above 50% is 'severely cost-burdened.' Most landlords and budget guides still anchor on the 30% number.

How much rent can I afford on a $70,000 salary?

$70,000 a year is about $5,833 gross per month. The 30% rule says max rent of about $1,750/mo; the conservative 28% rule says about $1,633/mo; the aggressive 40% rule says about $2,333/mo. After federal, state, and FICA taxes, take-home in a no-income-tax state is roughly $4,700-4,900/mo, so $1,750 rent is about 37% of net - tight but workable.

Why do NYC and SF apartments break the 30% rule?

The housing supply in NYC and the Bay Area has not kept pace with demand for decades, so rent has decoupled from local incomes. Median renters in those metros spend 40-50% of income on housing. The 30% rule is a benchmark, not a law - in high-COL cities you either accept a higher rent burden, take a roommate, or move further out for a longer commute.

Why do landlords require income 3x the rent?

The 3x-rent rule is a tenant-screening shortcut, not an affordability rule. It is approximately equivalent to the 30% gross-rent rule (1/3 of gross = ~33%) and gives landlords confidence that you can pay even after taxes and other obligations. Some landlords require 2.5x in high-rent cities or 3.5-4x for luxury units.

Should I count my roommate's income?

For affordability math, yes - if you genuinely share rent, each person only owes their portion, so calculate against your individual share. For the lease application, most landlords want each tenant to qualify individually at 2.5x-3x their portion of the rent, or require a co-signer. Do not list a roommate's income as your own.

Rent Affordability Calculator (28% & 30% Rule)

Rent Affordability Calculator (28% & 30% Rule)

How the Rent Rules Actually Work

Frequently Asked Questions

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Rent Affordability Calculator (28% & 30% Rule)

How the Rent Rules Actually Work