Rent Reality
Can you actually afford your rent?
Most rent calculators just check if your rent is below 30% of your income — and call it a day. But that ignores what groceries, healthcare, transportation, and childcare actually cost where you live. Harvard researchers found 5.3 million households appear affordable on paper but can't cover basic necessities after paying rent. This tool checks if you're one of them.
Harvard JCHS, State of the Nation's Housing 2024 ↗
Real example
$2,800/month income · $700/month rent (25% of income)
30% rule verdict
✓ Affordable
Residual income verdict
Short $250/month after necessities
Same household. Same rent. Two different answers.
Built on public HUD and EPI data. No login required. Takes 2 minutes.