What does this measure?

The proportion of household income that goes toward monthly rent, utilities, and fuel, calculated by dividing median rent by median income.

Why is this important?

This figure indicates how affordable housing is for renters. The federal Housing and Urban Development Department guideline for affordability is that rent should consume no more than 30% of household income.

How is the Greater Capital Region performing?

Renters in the Greater Capital Region spent roughly 17% of their household income on rent in 2005-07, well below the 30% cap of affordability. This is slightly lower than renters in the state and nation, who spent 20% and 19%, respectively. Albany County renters spent the highest proportion of their income on rent at 18%, while renters in Schoharie County spent the lowest in the region at 15%.

Notes about the data

The 2005-2007 figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined three years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. In calculating the ratio, figures were adjusted to 2007 dollars, and regional medians were calculated by weighting county medians based on share of population.