Cost-Burdened Households

Data Table

Explanation

When households spend too much of their income on housing, they have less money available to spend on other basic needs such as food, health care, and transportation. Cost-burdened households spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Severely cost-burdened households spend more than 50% of their income on housing-related expenses, including rents, mortgage payments, utilities, and maintenance. The count of cost-burdened households includes severely cost-burdened households.

For the 2017-2021 5-year average, 32% of Thurston County households were cost burdened, representing more than 36,000 households. 14% (15,800) were severely cost burdened.

Sustainable Thurston Report Card

The Sustainable Thurston Report Card tracks how well the Thurston region is doing at meeting basic needs. The goal includes two targets for 2035:

  • Fewer than 10% of households will be cost burdened
  • Fewer than 5% of households will be severely cost burdened

Source

  • U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey (ACS)