Severe Rent Burden
Severe Rent Burden measures how many renter-occupied households in the St. Louis region spend more than half of their income on rent. In 2016, 53,577 households in the region were severely rent-burdened, which represents 21.1% of all renter-occupied households.
Severe Rent Burden Indicator Scores
City of
St. Louis
St. Louis
County
St. Charles
County
St. Clair
County
Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016
Data Note: PUMS data may differ slightly from estimates on American Factfinder due to differences in sampling. See PUMS technical documentation for more information. The number of sample cases is too small to report reliable estimates for additional racial groups.
What does this score mean?
A score of 100 represents racial equity, meaning there are no racial disparities in the outcomes between black and white populations. The lower the Equity Score, the greater the disparity.
For Severe Rent Burden, a score of 100 – a score reflecting racial equity – would mean the same percentage of white and black households spend more than half of their income on rent. It is important to note that for this indicator, equity is not our only goal; we also want to improve outcomes for all.
WHAT DOES THIS ANALYSIS MEAN?
Across the four-county region, black households are over 44 % more likely as white households to be severely rent-burdened. Among black households in the City of St. Louis, 31.3% are severely rent-burdened, compared to 14.7% of white households. In St. Clair County, about 36.5 % of black households are rent-burdened compared to about 27 % of white households. In St. Louis County, about 20 % of black households experience severe rent burden, relative to 17.7 % of white households. According to the data used for this study, there are no rent-burdened black households in St. Charles County
If rent burden rates were equitable, the number of black households spending more than half of their income on rent would decrease by:
- 6,252 in the City of St. Louis,
- 1,548 in St. Clair County, and
- 1,177 in St. Louis County.
In addition, rent-burdened black households are home to more people than rent-burdened white households. For example, in the City of St. Louis, rent-burdened black households house 24,187 residents, for an average of 2.05 residents per household, while severely rent-burdened white households house 5,683 residents, for an average of 1.37 residents per household.
Why Does Severe Rent Burden Matter?
Severe Rent Burden is a strong indication of housing insecurity. Research shows that the lack of stable housing is strongly correlated with poorer stress-related health outcomes, child poverty, and food insecurity. Housing insecurity is directly related to our city’s high rate of child homelessness. In 2016, 18.4% of all students in St. Louis public and charter schools reported experiencing homelessness and were found more likely to be chronically absent and to perform poorly on tests.
Which Calls to Action from the Ferguson Commission’s report are linked with this indicator?
The Ferguson Commission’s calls to action related to affordable rental housing include:
Questions for Further Investigation:
- Why is there a racial disparity in Rent Burden?
- What can St. Louis do to reduce racial disparities in Rent Burden?
- What initiatives are currently underway to reduce racial disparities in Rent Burden?
How can I learn more about this issue?
The Affordable Housing Commission Reports to the Community describe the state of affordable housing in the St. Louis City. In the 2018 paper Racial Rent Differences in U.S. Housing Markets, researchers found that households led by black residents pay more for identical housing in identical neighborhoods than their white counterparts and that this rent gap increases with the fraction of the neighborhood populated by white residents.
Severe Rent Burden Data
Renter-occupied households that spend more than half of their income on rent
| All | Black | White | Disparity Ratio | Equity Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Renter-Occupied Households with Severe Rent Burden | 17,713 | 11,794 | 4,151 | ||
Renter-Occupied Households | 73,196 | 37,704 | 28,272 | ||
Percent of Renter-Occupied Households with Severe Rent Burden | 24.20% | 31.30% | 14.70% | 2.130 to 1 | 40 |
Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016
Renter-occupied households that spend more than half of their income on rent
| All | Black | White | Disparity Ratio | Equity Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rent-Burdened Households | 22,152 | 9,798 | 11,099 | ||
Renter-Occupied Households | 122,457 | 48,706 | 62,847 | ||
Percentage of Severe Rent-Burdened Renter-Occupied Households | 18.1% | 20.1% | 17.7% | 1.136 to 1 | 79 |
Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016
Renter-occupied households that spend more than half of their income on rent
| All | Black | White | Disparity Ratio | Equity Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rent-Burdened Households | 3,146 | 0 | 3,090 | ||
Renter-Occupied Households | 23,967 | 2,969 | 18,724 | ||
Percentage of Severe Rent-Burdened Renter-Occupied Households | 13.1% | 0.0% | 16.5% | 0 to 1 | 100 |
Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016
Renter-occupied households that spend more than half of their income on rent
| All | Black | White | Disparity Ratio | Equity Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rent-Burdened Households | 10,566 | 5,771 | 4,473 | ||
Renter-Occupied Households | 34,049 | 15,816 | 16,722 | ||
Percentage of Severe Rent-Burdened Renter-Occupied Households | 31.0% | 36.5% | 26.7% | 1.367 to 1 | 67 |
Data Source: American Community Survey 1-year PUMS, 2016