Bronx County: High Rents, Higher Burden

Renters in Bronx County, New York spend a median of $1,436 a month on housing against a median household income of $49,036 a year. That puts annual rent at 35% of household earnings before any other expense is paid. With 52.2% of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing, Bronx County sits among the most cost-burdened counties in the country and 29.2 percentage points above the national median of 23.0%.

The Housing Numbers Up Close

The core affordability figures for Bronx County, New York show the pressure from multiple directions. Median gross rent of $1,436 compares to a national median of $848. The median home value of $517,000 stands against a national median of $172,300. Meanwhile, median household income of $49,036 trails the national median of $63,150, creating a gap between local wages and local housing costs that is difficult to bridge through income growth alone.

How Bronx County Compares Within New York

Across New York, the median housing cost burden among counties is 26.7%, and the median gross rent is $942. Bronx County exceeds both figures. The five highest-burden counties in New York illustrate how the affordability problem concentrates in specific communities:

1. Bronx County, New York: 52.2% of households cost-burdened, $1,436 median rent
2. Kings County, New York: 45.1% of households cost-burdened, $1,784 median rent
3. Queens County, New York: 43.9% of households cost-burdened, $1,915 median rent
4. Rockland County, New York: 42.7% of households cost-burdened, $1,826 median rent
5. New York County, New York: 39.8% of households cost-burdened, $2,132 median rent

What Cost Burden Means in Practice

The 30% threshold used to define housing cost burden is a federal standard, but researchers increasingly treat it as a floor. Households spending 50% or more on housing face severe burden, leaving little for food, transportation, healthcare, or savings. In a county like Bronx County, where renter households face both above-average rents and below-average incomes, the squeeze is not marginal. It shapes decisions about where to work, whether to stay, and what trade-offs families accept.

The Affordability Gap in Context

Housing cost burden at the county level reflects a combination of supply constraints, local zoning, distance from job centers, and the pace of wage growth relative to rent increases. Counties that score high on burden are not always those with the highest rents in absolute terms. Often, the most burdened communities are places where rents have climbed while incomes have not, or where a thin rental market gives landlords outsized pricing power. Bronx County reflects that pattern: the rent itself is not exceptional by coastal standards, but relative to local incomes, it is a serious strain on household budgets.