Housing

Arizona vs California: Rent to Income Ratio

Arizona has a lower rent to income ratio than California.

Arizona flag
Arizona
AZ · West
Winner
21.7%
Annualized median gross rent as a share of median household income.
California flag
California
CA · West
26.5%
Annualized median gross rent as a share of median household income.

Visual comparison

Arizona21.7%
California26.5%

Difference: 4.80 percentage points — Arizona leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for rent to income ratio.

Arizona #42 · 21.7%
California #50 · 26.5%
Best Worst

10 Best States — Rent to Income Ratio

Lower is better
#1 North Dakota flag North Dakota
15.2%
#2 Iowa flag Iowa
15.5%
#3 South Dakota flag South Dakota
16.0%
#4 Nebraska flag Nebraska
16.5%
#5 Minnesota flag Minnesota
16.6%
#6 Wisconsin flag Wisconsin
17.2%
#7 Kansas flag Kansas
17.7%
#8 Missouri flag Missouri
17.8%
#9 Indiana flag Indiana
17.9%
#10 Wyoming flag Wyoming
17.9%
Selected states
#42 Arizona flag Arizona
21.7%
#50 California flag California
26.5%

Arizona ranks 42nd and California ranks 50th nationally for rent to income ratio.

Related context

Rent Burden in Context

This ratio shows how much of a median paycheck goes straight to the landlord — the higher, the less breathing room renters have.

MetricArizonaCalifornia
Median Gross Rent $1,311/mo $1,856/mo Median Household Income $72,581 $84,097
Income After Rent (mo.) $4,737/mo $5,152/mo
Median Home Value $327,400 $693,700 Cost of Living Index 103.1 138.5

What this means

Arizona vs California: Rent to Income Ratio in context

Arizona's rent to income ratio is 21.7%, compared with 26.5% in California. Annualized median gross rent as a share of median household income.

Arizona
21.7%
California
26.5%
Difference
4.80 percentage points

People also ask

Arizona vs California Rent to Income Ratio — common questions

QWhat is Arizona's rent to income ratio?

Arizona's rent to income ratio is 21.7%.

QWhat is California's rent to income ratio?

California's rent to income ratio is 26.5%.

QWhich state has a lower rent to income ratio — Arizona or California?

Arizona has a lower rent to income ratio than California.

More comparisons: Arizona vs California

Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.

Full comparison
Median Housing Value Median Gross Rent Median Monthly Owner Costs With Mortgage Owner Costs Without Mortgage Homeownership Rate Home Value to Income Ratio Owner Costs to Income Home Insurance Cost

Explore each state

Arizona symbols California symbols Compare other states

Data source and freshness

Primary source
U.S. Census Bureau — 2023 American Community Survey
Data period
ACS 2023 estimates
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
State values or ratios calculated from ACS fields.