Rent Affordability Calculator — How Much Rent Can I Afford

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Rent affordability calculator

See a comfortable rent range from your monthly income using two common rules of thumb — the 30% guideline and the 3× income rule. These are budgeting guidelines, not requirements.

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The short answer

Last updated: July 2026

Two common rules of thumb estimate affordable rent: keep rent at or under 30% of gross monthly income, and aim for income at least three times the rent. On $6,000 monthly income that’s about $1,800 (the 30% guideline) or $2,000 (the 3× rule). These are budgeting guidelines, not requirements or approval decisions.

Rent affordability calculator

How much rent can you afford?

Enter your gross monthly income to see a comfortable rent range using two common rules of thumb — guidelines, not hard rules.

Gross monthly income (before taxes)

A rent you're considering (optional)

The 30% guideline and the 3× income rule are common budgeting rules of thumb — not requirements. What's comfortable also depends on your debts, savings, and other costs.

Input-driven result

Your inputs

Formula

Result below

Recommended max rent (30% rule)

$1,800

A common rule of thumb keeps rent at or under 30% of gross income.

3× income rule

$2,000

Another common view: keep rent at or under one-third of gross income (income ≥ 3× rent).

Estimate based on your inputs. Not a promise of results.

A budgeting aid for renters, not a promise of approval. Landlords who use an income threshold to screen applicants must apply it consistently to every applicant, per fair-housing law.

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How it works

How this tool works.

Figuring out how much rent you can comfortably afford is mostly a budgeting question, and two rules of thumb come up again and again: keep rent at or under 30% of your gross income, and look for income that’s at least three times the rent.

Enter your gross monthly income and this calculator shows both views, plus — if you’re weighing a specific rent — where that number lands as a share of your income. These are guidelines to plan around, not hard cutoffs, and what’s comfortable depends on your full budget.

Enter your gross monthly income (before taxes). Optionally, enter a rent you’re considering.

30% rule: the tool shows 30% of your gross income as a common comfortable-rent ceiling.

3× income rule: it also shows one-third of your income (the rent level at which income is 3× the rent).

If you enter a target rent, it shows that rent as a percentage of your income and whether it sits within each guideline — framed as a rule of thumb, never a pass/fail.

Make the result useful

Rent-affordability interpretation

Gross income is income before withholding, entered on a consistent monthly or annual basis.

Target ratio is a planning benchmark, not an approval rule or legal standard.

Monthly rent should include the recurring housing payment being compared, with treatment of utilities stated consistently.

Screening decisions require a lawful, consistently applied written policy beyond this ratio.

The assumptions that move this result

Gross income

Documented income used for the scenario.

Ratio

Planning percentage or multiplier selected.

Rent

Monthly rent compared with income.

Calculation lens

target rent = gross income × selected ratio

Use the output as a documented scenario result, not a guarantee.

Read the number in context

Worked scenario

Scenario: $5,400 gross monthly income at a one-third target supports $1,800 modeled rent.

Edge case

Edge case: irregular income needs a consistent documented time period.

Does not assess debt, household stability, fair-housing rules, or legal screening criteria.

Before you act

• Use the same documented standard for comparable applicants.

• Confirm local screening requirements.

• Keep ratio math separate from an approval decision.

Worked formula

target rent = gross income × selected ratio

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Is this a forecast?

No. It calculates the assumptions you enter.

Can it replace professional review?

No. Use current records and qualified advice.

What should I save?

Keep the assumptions and source records used for the decision.

Answers

Questions, answered plainly.

Where do the 30% and 3× rules come from?

They’re long-standing budgeting rules of thumb — 30% of gross income toward rent, or income of at least three times the rent. They’re common starting points for planning, not laws or guarantees, and plenty of workable budgets sit on either side of them.

Should I use gross or net income?

These rules of thumb are usually stated in gross (pre-tax) income, so that’s what the calculator uses. Your real comfort level depends on take-home pay, debts, savings, and other costs — treat the result as a guideline, not a budget.

Is this what a landlord will require to approve me?

Not necessarily. This is a budgeting aid for renters, not an approval decision. Landlords set their own criteria — and when they use an income threshold to screen applicants, fair-housing law requires them to apply it consistently to everyone, not selectively.

Does going over the guideline mean I can’t afford it?

No. These are rules of thumb, not cutoffs. A rent above 30% can be workable depending on your other expenses and savings — the calculator surfaces the ratio so you can make an informed call.

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