How much should I spend on rent?
The traditional rule: no more than 30% of gross income on rent. Stricter: 25% of take-home pay. In high-cost cities (NYC, SF, Boston), many people spend 40-50% — workable short-term but tough on savings rate. The 50/30/20 rule treats all housing as part of the 50% 'needs' bucket.
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The traditional rule: no more than 30% of gross income on rent. Stricter: 25% of take-home pay. In high-cost cities (NYC, SF, Boston), many people spend 40-50% — workable short-term but tough on savings rate. The 50/30/20 rule treats all housing as part of the 50% 'needs' bucket. The exact answer depends on your specific situation — the numbers above are a strong starting point, but the right next step is to plug in your actual figures.
For a deeper analysis, use one of the related tools below — they take your specific income, debt, location, and goals as inputs and produce a tailored answer.