The typical renter now pays more each month than the typical homeowner
The median US renter household paid $1,487 a month for housing in 2024, including utilities, while the median homeowner paid $1,395, according to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey. It's been that way since 2021. In 2015, renters paid $959 at the median and owners $1,062.
High rent is the reason. The median gross rent rose 55% from 2015 to 2024, while median monthly owner costs, which cover mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and condo fees, rose 31%. About 40% of owner households have no mortgage at all, and their median cost was $664 a month. Owners with a mortgage paid a median $2,035, still well above renters.
The gap is bigger as a share of income. The median renter household spent 30.9% of its income on housing in 2024. The median homeowner spent 17.6%.
Where renters pay the most more
Among the 72 US cities with at least 300,000 residents, the median renter paid more than the median homeowner in 28. Philadelphia tops the list, followed by Santa Ana, California, and Detroit.
City | Median gross rent | Median owner costs | Renters pay more by | Owners with no mortgage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$1,500 | $1,084 | $416 | 43% | |
$2,184 | $1,778 | $406 | 42% | |
$1,091 | $688 | $403 | 66% | |
Pittsburgh | $1,304 | $993 | $311 | 47% |
Mesa, AZ | $1,708 | $1,423 | $285 | 38% |
$1,712 | $1,490 | $222 | 33% | |
Memphis | $1,263 | $1,058 | $205 | 42% |
Henderson, NV | $1,863 | $1,696 | $167 | 34% |
Cleveland | $961 | $795 | $166 | 48% |
San Antonio | $1,389 | $1,223 | $166 | 46% |
Cities with many paid-off homes show up near the top. In Detroit, two-thirds of owner households have no mortgage. Renters there spend a median 37.7% of their income on rent, more than double the 17.9% owners spend. The rest of the 28 run mostly through the Sun Belt, including Nashville, Charlotte, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Tampa.
In big, expensive coastal cities, the order flips. Owners in Los Angeles paid a median $2,736 a month, $778 more than renters, and in San Francisco owners paid $3,336, $888 more.
What these numbers leave out
The Census figures count everyone, including tenants on old leases and owners who bought decades ago. Someone renting today pays more. The typical asking rent nationally was $1,948 a month in August 2026, according to RentDataNow data built on the Zillow Observed Rent Index, and that's before utilities. Owner costs also leave out repairs and maintenance, and they don't count the equity a mortgage payment builds.
Whether buying makes sense now depends on prices and rates where you live, which we break down in should you rent or buy right now and cities where renting still beats buying.
Sources
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2024: tables B25064 (median gross rent), B25088 (median selected monthly owner costs), B25081 (mortgage status), B25071 (median gross rent as a share of income), and B25092 (median owner costs as a share of income)
RentDataNow national rent data, anchored to the Zillow Observed Rent Index, August 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Do renters pay more than homeowners each month?
At the median, yes. US renter households paid $1,487 a month in 2024, including utilities, while homeowners paid $1,395, according to the Census Bureau. About 40% of owners have no mortgage, which pulls their median down.
How much do homeowners with a mortgage pay each month?
The median homeowner with a mortgage paid $2,035 a month in 2024, covering the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and any condo fees. Owners without a mortgage paid a median $664, according to the Census Bureau.
Which cities have renters paying more than homeowners?
Among 72 US cities with at least 300,000 residents, renters paid more than homeowners at the median in 28. The biggest gaps were in Philadelphia, at $416 a month, Santa Ana, California, at $406, and Detroit, at $403.
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Henry Jo is a housing analyst covering rent data, affordability, city comparisons, and much more. He started following rental data while apartment hunting in two cities at once, and he lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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