Rural households generally have lower housing expenses relative to their income compared to urban households

Housing costs for both renters and homeowners are generally lower in nonmetro areas than in metro areas. For metro households, 27.2 percent of renters and 14.4 percent of homeowners had housing expenses exceeding 50 percent of their gross household income. By contrast, 24.3 percent of renters and 11.1 percent of homeowners in nonmetro areas were in that situation. In general, minority and older householders have a higher percentage of their income going towards housing expenses in both metro and nonmetro areas. This chart updates one found in the ERS bulletin, Rural America At A Glance, 2005.

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