This figure indicates how affordable housing is for renters. The federal Housing and Urban Development Department guideline for affordability is that rent should consume no more than 30% of household income. High housing costs can force households to choose between paying for housing and meeting other basic needs such as food, clothing and health care.

In 2017-21, Hispanic or Latino households in Worcester County spent a larger proportion of their income on rent than other residents. Rents consumed 35% of Latino household incomes compared to 28% for White, 27% for Black or African American, and 22% of Asian households.

African American and Asian households in Worcester County spent lower proportions of their incomes on rent compared to the state and nation. The share of income spent on rent by Latinos is similar to the state and slightly higher than the nation.

Households of all races and ethnicities in the City of Worcester spent higher portions of their income on rent, particularly among Asians at 35% in the City compared to 22% in the County.

Historic and current policies and systems, from racist housing policies to employment discrimination to education systems that fail to equitably serve all populations, have prevented people of color, particularly African Americans and Latinos from fully participating in our economy, locking them out of economic opportunity. This has resulted in lower incomes for African Americans and Latinos, which means housing costs can be a greater burden. At the same time, housing costs are rising faster than incomes and affordable housing is limited.

Multi-year data are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample. The American Community Survey combines five years of responses to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census.