How much does “home” really cost, depending on where you live? A new map from Visual Capitalist breaks down median rent prices across all 50 states, and the results paint a vivid picture of America’s housing divide. Coastal states like California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts remain steep, while much of the Midwest and South offer relative affordability — at least for now. The map tells more than a story of numbers; it’s a glimpse into shifting populations, economic opportunity, and the search for attainable housing.
Key Takeaways
- Coastal states have the highest median rents with California leading at $2,104, followed by Hawaii ($1,942) and Massachusetts ($1,848). The District of Columbia ranks third among the states at $1,931.
- While coastal states tend to have the highest rents, Colorado ($1,822) and Nevada ($1,709) are among the few landlocked states far above the national median of $1,487.
1. Median Rent by State
From Visual Capitalist’s “Mapped: Median Rent Price by U.S. State” (2024) — coastal and mountain states stand out with the highest rents. Visual Capitalist+1
-
California: $2,104/month — highest in the U.S. Visual Capitalist+1
-
Hawaii: $1,942/month — second highest. Visual Capitalist
-
Massachusetts: $1,848/month — among top three. Visual Capitalist
-
National median: [The map uses a baseline national median figure for comparison, although the exact number isn’t always isolated in the summary.] licensing.visualcapitalist.com+1
-
On the lower end: Many inland states have significantly lower median rents (the map highlights broad ranges, though the article doesn’t list every state in the summary section) Visual Capitalist+1
2. Median Household Income by State
From Visual Capitalist’s “Mapped: Median Household Income by State”. Visual Capitalist
-
Massachusetts: $99,858 — highest median household income among the states. Census.gov+1
-
New Jersey: $99,781 — very close to Massachusetts. Visual Capitalist
-
California: $95,521 — high income but also very high rent. Wikipedia+1
-
Mississippi: $54,203 — among the lowest incomes. Census.gov+1
3. Affordability Snapshot: Rent vs Income
Using the above data, you can derive rough ratios of rent-to-income by state. For example:
-
In California, with median rent ~$2,104/month and median household income ~$95,521/year (~$7,960/month) → rent is about 26% of monthly median household income.
-
In Massachusetts, with rent ~$1,848/month and income ~$99,858/year (~$8,322/month) → rent is about 22% of monthly income.
-
In Mississippi, with a comparatively low income (~$54,203/year ~ $4,517/month) and lower rents (though we don’t have exact median rent in the summary for Mississippi) the rent-to-income ratio could still be burdensome depending on the actual rent.
Broader data supports that around 30% of income is a benchmark for being “rent-burdened” (spending >30% of income on rent).
by Jay Valdeavilla | Nov. 4th
