America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

Over 19 million U.S. renter households spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs in 2021, according to data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-year estimates released today.

Households are considered cost burdened when they spend more than 30% of their income on rent, mortgage, and other housing needs.

The burden was especially high in some of the nation’s largest counties where housing is more expensive or in areas where incomes are low.

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📊 Data Viz: Mapping Housing Cost Ratios in the U.S.

During the 2017-2021 period, the national median cost ratio for renter-occupied units was 29.8%. What percentage of income is spent on housing in your county? Find out using the 2017-2021 ACS 5-year estimates and our new data visualization. 

📰 U.S. Poverty Rates Differ by Age and County

Poverty rates for children (under age 18) in U.S. counties are wide-ranging, from less than 1.0% to 72.7%, according to the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates released today.

Here are some highlights from today's release:

Housing: 

• At the county level, 239 or 7.6% of the nation’s 3,143 counties had a median housing cost ratio for renters above 30%.
• More than half of households with income and paying rent faced housing cost burdens in these counties.

Income: 

• The U.S. median household income for the 2017-2021 ACS 5-year period was $69,021.
• Median household income, adjusted for inflation to 2021 dollars, in the United States increased 10.5% from $62,460 in 2012-2016, the most recent nonoverlapping 5-year period.

Poverty:

• The U.S. poverty rate decreased from 15.1% in 2012-2016 to 12.6% in 2017-2021.
• From 2012-2016 to 2017-2021, 1,220 counties (38.8%) had decreasing poverty rates and 75 counties (2.4%) had increasing poverty rates.

Families and Living Arrangements: 

• The percentage of households with one or more people under 18 declined from 32.0% in 2012-2016 to 30.6% in 2017-2021.
• The percentage of households with one or more people age 65 and over increased from 27.4% in 2012-2016 to 30.2% in 2017-2021.

About America Counts

America Counts features stories on various topics including: 

• Families, Housing, Employment, Business, Education, Economy 
• Emergency Management, Health, Population, Income and Poverty

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