The Most Rent-Burdened State In America Might Surprise You

When we think about expensive places to rent, New York and California always spring to mind first. And it's for good reason — these states have metros with some of the most expensive prices for one-bedroom apartments. But according to an analysis from Visual Capitalist, Florida is the most rent-burdened state in the country, with places like New York, California, and Nevada closely behind.

The analysis looked at data from the U.S. Census and found what percentage of income households spend on rent. And, despite the fact that Florida was ranked the top place to live in 2025 because of its economic strength, 30.1% of renter households spend over half of their income on housing, which is considered severely rent-burdened. Nationwide, 24.3% of households are considered severely rent-burdened, meaning Florida is nearly 6% higher than the national average. While the Sunshine State is not known for ludicrously high-cost-of-living metros, rent prices across the state increased in recent years, leaving renters in a vulnerable position.

In recent years, renting has been cheaper in many parts of the country; however, in Florida, between 2019 and 2023, rent prices have spiked 39%, according to a study from the University of Florida. The study found that between those years, the median rent in the state increased from $1,238 to $1,719, which was largely caused by a lack of budget-friendly housing supply in the state.

Some 195,000 renter households were added to Florida's population between 2019 and 2023, so there was more competition for units. Additionally, the state has a large deficit of affordable housing units (meaning units renting for $1,200 or less), a deficit that grew from 2019 to 2023. Although the state gained more available rentals overall, it lost 404,000 units that were priced at $1,200 or lower. And per the study, there is a deficit of 640,741 affordable units for households making 60% of the area median income.