For renters, the single most important economic metric is not income alone — it is how much of that income goes to rent. A county where the median household earns $60,000 and median rent is $700 offers dramatically more financial freedom than a county where the same income faces $2,000 rent.
We calculated the income-to-rent ratio for every US county with available data and ranked the 25 most affordable for renters. These are places where housing costs leave room for savings, investment, and discretionary spending.
The 25 Most Affordable Counties for Renters
Ranked by income-to-rent ratio (higher is better). A ratio above 5.0 means the median income covers annual rent more than 5 times over.
| Rank | County | State | Median Income | Median Rent | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cottle County | Texas | $59,063 | $264/mo | 18.6x |
| 2 | Sheridan County | North Dakota | $62,639 | $373/mo | 14.0x |
| 3 | Schuyler County | Missouri | $61,205 | $382/mo | 13.4x |
| 4 | Calhoun County | Illinois | $93,203 | $583/mo | 13.3x |
| 5 | Glasscock County | Texas | $101,250 | $648/mo | 13.0x |
| 6 | Harding County | South Dakota | $80,441 | $521/mo | 12.9x |
| 7 | Crockett County | Texas | $81,022 | $558/mo | 12.1x |
| 8 | Hardin County | Illinois | $54,271 | $379/mo | 11.9x |
| 9 | Billings County | North Dakota | $86,806 | $621/mo | 11.6x |
| 10 | Wheeler County | Nebraska | $70,250 | $509/mo | 11.5x |
| 11 | Hayes County | Nebraska | $69,250 | $508/mo | 11.4x |
| 12 | Slope County | North Dakota | $71,250 | $525/mo | 11.3x |
| 13 | Scotland County | Missouri | $68,913 | $511/mo | 11.2x |
| 14 | Burke County | North Dakota | $91,591 | $684/mo | 11.2x |
| 15 | Pope County | Illinois | $60,050 | $449/mo | 11.1x |
| 16 | Red Lake County | Minnesota | $77,188 | $583/mo | 11.0x |
| 17 | Schleicher County | Texas | $86,694 | $660/mo | 10.9x |
| 18 | Deuel County | South Dakota | $83,112 | $642/mo | 10.8x |
| 19 | Weston County | Wyoming | $89,509 | $698/mo | 10.7x |
| 20 | Garfield County | Nebraska | $62,804 | $490/mo | 10.7x |
| 21 | Ness County | Kansas | $68,616 | $538/mo | 10.6x |
| 22 | Hand County | South Dakota | $74,635 | $587/mo | 10.6x |
| 23 | Wilkin County | Minnesota | $71,410 | $564/mo | 10.6x |
| 24 | Nuckolls County | Nebraska | $73,976 | $585/mo | 10.5x |
| 25 | Chariton County | Missouri | $71,520 | $567/mo | 10.5x |
Note
The Department of Housing and Urban Development considers households that spend more than 30% of income on housing to be "cost-burdened." Counties with income-to-rent ratios below 4.0 often push renters above this threshold.
Why These Counties Are So Affordable
The most affordable counties for renters share common traits:
- Strong local economies with stable employment in manufacturing, government, or agriculture.
- Lower demand pressure: These counties are not experiencing the rapid in-migration that drives up rents in coastal metros and Sun Belt boomtowns.
- Proactive housing policy: Some counties benefit from state or local programs that preserve affordable rental stock.
- Lower overall cost structure: When land, labor, and construction costs are low, rents naturally stay affordable.
Methodology
All data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023). Income-to-rent ratio is median household income divided by annual median gross rent (monthly rent x 12). Counties missing either income or rent data were excluded.
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023). All figures are estimates based on survey data and may not reflect current economic conditions.