Monthly Rent Remained at $1,200 Last Year, But Almost 1 in 4 Renters Fell Behind at Some Point During the Year

The typical rent payment in the U.S. but the share of renters falling behind continued to grow, revealing financial strains that a stable national median can obscure.

23% of renters reported being behind on rent at some point in 2025, up from 21% in 2024 and 19% in 2023. Meanwhile, the median reported monthly rent remained $1,200, according to the Federal Reserve's report on household economic well-being.

The findings show that a pause in the median payment did not coincide with fewer renters reporting trouble. They do not establish why more tenants fell behind, or mean that individual landlords stopped raising rents.

The national median also remained above the $1,100 reported in 2023. Lower-income renters experienced the greatest difficulties. Among those with family income below $25,000, 33% reported falling behind in 2025. The figure was 31% for renters earning $25,000 to $49,999, up from 25% a year earlier. Among renters earning at least $100,000, 5% fell behind.

Other sections of the survey offer context for how households can struggle with a recurring payment even when that payment does not increase. Income fluctuations, unexpected expenses, and competing bills can all complicate the monthly budget.

Thirty percent of adults said their income varied at least occasionally during the year. Eleven percent reported difficulty paying bills over the previous 12 months because their income fluctuated. Those figures cover all adults, rather than renters specifically, and do not explain the increase in rent arrears.

For workers with uneven earnings, an annual income figure can conceal months when less money arrives. A rent bill still falls due on schedule, creating a potential mismatch between available cash and required payments.

That instability was especially pronounced among self-employed adults. Fifty-eight percent reported income varying from month to month, and 22% struggled to pay bills because of those changes. Among people working for someone else, the corresponding figures were 28% and 10%.

Unexpected expenses presented another source of pressure. Fifty-nine percent of adults reported at least one major unexpected expense during the previous year. Vehicle repairs or replacement were the most common, affecting 30%, followed by major home or appliance repairs and unexpected medical expenses.

Those expenses can rival a monthly housing payment. Among respondents who knew the amounts, the median cost category for major vehicle expenses, home repairs, and unexpected medical bills was $1,000 to $1,999.

Among adults struggling with bills in the previous month, 48% cut other expenses, 42% paid a bill late, and 23% used a credit card they would repay over time. Twenty-two percent received or borrowed money from friends or family.

Nearly half of adults ages 18 to 29 received outside help with an expense over the previous year. Twenty-three percent received assistance specifically for rent, mortgage payments, utilities, or other housing costs. Those figures include young homeowners and other living arrangements alongside renters.