The United States recorded 1.1 million eviction filings in 2023, the highest level in fifteen years. Simultaneously, homelessness jumped by 12 percent, reaching over 650,000 people. These concurrent crises underscore a system under severe strain.
Key Takeaways
- Evictions in the U.S. totaled 1.1 million court filings in 2023 post-moratorium, highest since 2008.
- U.S. homelessness reached 653,104 people on a single night in 2023, a 12% increase from 2022.
- In 2023, the median home sales price in the United States reached $412,300, a 5.3% increase from 2022, exacerbating affordability issues for first-time buyers.
- In 2023, 47% of U.S. renters were cost-burdened, spending over 30% of income on rent and utilities.
- The national rent for a one-bedroom apartment averaged $1,487 in Q1 2024, up 3.2% from 2023.
- The U.S. faces a shortage of 7.2 million affordable rental homes for extremely low-income households as of 2023.
Affordable housing is increasingly out of reach, with supply lagging demand and rent costs rising.
Related reading
01 · Category
Evictions1 stats
01
Evictions in the U.S. totaled 1.1 million court filings in 2023 post-moratorium, highest since 2008.
Interpretation
Evictions Interpretation
Behind the celebration of reopening, the eviction machine roared back to life, churning out over a million filings to remind us that the rent is not just due, it's often devastating.
02 · Category
Homelessness10 stats
01
U.S. homelessness reached 653,104 people on a single night in 2023, a 12% increase from 2022.
02
Chronic homelessness affected 143,361 individuals in 2023, up 12.7% from the prior year.
03
Unsheltered homelessness rose to 267,401 in 2023, comprising 41% of total homeless population.
04
California accounted for 28% of U.S. homeless population in 2023, with 181,399 individuals.
05
New York had 91,271 homeless on a single night in 2023, mostly sheltered due to right-to-shelter law.
06
Family homelessness increased 15.5% nationally in 2023, affecting 150,000 children.
07
Veterans experiencing homelessness numbered 35,000 in 2023, down 7.5% from 2022 due to targeted programs.
08
Youth homelessness affected 34,400 unaccompanied minors in 2023, up 15% from 2022.
09
In Los Angeles, homelessness hit 75,518 in 2023, a 9% increase despite $1B+ spending.
10
Seattle-King County reported 13,368 homeless in 2023, up 20% from 2022.
Interpretation
Homelessness Interpretation
The numbers are a grim punchline in a tragic comedy where we applaud a standing ovation for finally housing a few thousand veterans while, in the same breath, we watch the entire stage collapse under the weight of exploding family, youth, and chronic homelessness.
03 · Category
Housing Prices24 stats
01
In 2023, the median home sales price in the United States reached $412,300,a 5.3% increase from 2022, exacerbating affordability issues for first-time buyers.
02
U.S. home prices rose by 43% between 2020 and 2023, outpacing wage growth by more than double, making homeownership unattainable for many middle-income families.
03
In 2024, the national median listing price for homes was $425,000,up 2.7% year-over-year, driven by low inventory in high-demand areas.
04
From Q1 2020 to Q1 2024, home prices in the 50 largest U.S. metro areas increased by an average of 47%, with Phoenix seeing a 58% surge.
05
The Case-Shiller National Home Price Index rose 6.5% in the 12 months ending February 2024, marking the strongest annual gain since October 2022.
06
In California, median home prices hit $815,000in March 2024, 145% higher than the national median, pricing out 95% of renters.
07
New York City's median home sale price reached $780,000in Q1 2024, a 7.4% increase from the previous year, fueled by luxury market recovery.
08
Miami's home prices grew 8.2% year-over-year to a median of $550,000 in March 2024, with inventory at just 3.5 months' supply.
09
In 2023, U.S. housing starts fell to 1.41 million units, down 6% from 2022, contributing to price escalation due to undersupply.
10
The median U.S. home price per square foot increased to $223in 2023 from $198 in 2020, a 12.6% rise adjusted for inflation.
11
Austin, TX, saw home prices peak at $530,000median in 2022 before a slight 2% decline in 2023, still 50% above pre-pandemic levels.
12
Denver's median home price climbed to $595,000in Q1 2024, up 4.4% from last year, with bidding wars common in entry-level segments.
13
Seattle home prices averaged $850,000in 2023, a 7% increase, driven by tech sector demand and zoning restrictions limiting supply.
14
Boston's median single-family home price hit $900,000in 2023, up 8.2%, making it one of the least affordable markets nationally.
15
Atlanta home prices rose 5.1% to $400,000 median in 2023, but affordability worsened as incomes lagged behind.
16
Portland, OR, median home price reached $525,000in 2023, up 6%, with urban growth boundaries constraining new construction.
17
Las Vegas saw a 4.8% price increase to $425,000 median in Q1 2024, recovering from 2022 peak declines.
18
National average mortgage payments for new buyers rose 80% from 2020 to 2023 due to price hikes and rates.
19
In 2023, 78% of U.S. counties experienced home price growth exceeding wage growth, widening the affordability gap.
20
Florida's statewide median home price surged to $405,000in 2023, up 10% from 2022, attracting out-of-state buyers.
21
Texas median home price hit $330,000in 2023, a 3.2% increase, with Dallas-Fort Worth leading at 5% growth.
22
Chicago's median home price rose 9.2% to $340,000 in 2023, bucking national slowdown trends.
23
Philadelphia home prices increased 5.5% to $265,000 median in 2023, with rowhome demand high.
24
Washington D.C. median price reached $620,000in 2023, up 6.8%, influenced by federal workforce stability.
Interpretation
Housing Prices Interpretation
The numbers show America's housing ladder is rapidly turning into a game of snakes and ladders where the snakes are getting longer and the ladders are being auctioned off to the highest bidder.
More related reading
04 · Category
Rent Burden13 stats
01
In 2023, 47% of U.S. renters were cost-burdened, spending over 30% of income on rent and utilities.
02
Nationally, the share of renters with severe housing cost burden (over 50% of income) rose to 23.1% in 2022.
03
In 2022, 21.2 million U.S. renter households faced housing cost burdens, with low-income renters hit hardest.
04
Black renters are twice as likely as white renters to be severely cost-burdened, at 31% vs. 15% in 2022.
05
In California, 52% of renters spent more than 35% of income on housing in 2023, the highest in the nation.
06
No U.S. county allows a full-time minimum wage worker to afford a modest two-bedroom rental in 2023.
07
The national Housing Wage for a two-bedroom apartment was $28.35per hour in 2023, over 2.5 times the minimum wage.
08
In 2022, 12.1 million low-income renters lived in neighborhoods with high rent burdens and poverty rates above 40%.
09
Hispanic renters faced severe cost burdens at 27% rate in 2022, compared to 16% for non-Hispanic whites.
10
Elderly renters (65+) with cost burdens increased to 28% in 2022, up from 24% pre-pandemic.
11
In New York, 56% of renters were cost-burdened in 2022, highest among large metros.
12
Florida saw 49% rent-burdened households in 2022, driven by rapid population growth and rent hikes.
13
Texas had 44% of renters cost-burdened in 2022, with Austin at 51% due to tech boom.
Interpretation
Rent Burden Interpretation
The American Dream is increasingly a rental, and the landlord is taking half your paycheck while the other half watches from a neighborhood the minimum wage forgot.
05 · Category
Rent Prices6 stats
01
The national rent for a one-bedroom apartment averaged $1,487in Q1 2024, up 3.2% from 2023.
02
U.S. median rent reached $1,964for all property types in February 2024, a record high with 3.4% annual growth.
03
In 2023, average U.S. rent increased by 3% to $1,699 monthly, outpacing inflation by 1.5 percentage points.
04
New York City average rent hit $4,473for a one-bedroom in March 2024, up 1.5% year-over-year despite high supply.
05
San Francisco median rent for a one-bedroom was $2,950in Q1 2024, down 2% but still 120% above national average.
06
Miami's average rent rose to $2,800for a two-bedroom in 2023, a 12% increase driven by influx of remote workers.
Interpretation
Rent Prices Interpretation
The numbers are clear: America's rent is in a relentless, record-breaking sprint while our wallets are stuck in a nostalgic jog from a bygone era.
06 · Category
Supply Shortages16 stats
01
The U.S. faces a shortage of 7.2 million affordable rental homes for extremely low-income households as of 2023.
02
Only 34 affordable rental homes exist per 100 extremely low-income renter households nationally in 2023.
03
Housing completions for renter households fell 20% from 2019 to 2023, worsening shortages.
04
The U.S. needs 4.3 million new rental homes by 2030 to restore pre-2000 affordability levels.
05
In 2023, multifamily housing under construction hit record 971,000 units, but mostly luxury.
06
Extremely low-income households face a shortage of 6.4 million affordable units in 2023.
07
Coastal metros like NYC and SF have supply shortages 3x the national average per capita.
08
Post-2008, U.S. added only 200,000 affordable units while need grew by 2.5 million.
09
Zoning laws restrict multifamily housing on 75% of residential land in major U.S. cities.
10
The U.S. underbuilt 5.5 million homes from 2012-2021 due to financing and regulatory barriers.
11
In 2023, investor purchases accounted for 25% of single-family home sales, reducing supply for owner-occupants.
12
Permitted housing starts dropped 10% in 2023 to 1.4 million units, lowest since 2020.
13
Rural areas face 2.1 million unit shortage for low-income households as of 2022 data.
14
48 states plus D.C. lack enough affordable homes for lowest-income renters in 2023.
15
U.S. added 510,000 housing units in 2023, but population growth demanded 1.2 million.
16
Single-family permits fell 12% in 2023, prioritizing expensive builds over affordable.
Interpretation
Supply Shortages Interpretation
We have built a nation where the math is simple but cruel: for every three desperately poor families searching for a door, we have offered only one key, and then we wonder why they are left out in the cold.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Affordable Housing Crisis Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/affordable-housing-crisis-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Affordable Housing Crisis Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/affordable-housing-crisis-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Affordable Housing Crisis Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/affordable-housing-crisis-statistics.
Sources & references
44 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level