California’s housing crisis is a major contributor to poverty across the state, new research shows.
High housing costs account for 30% of all poverty in California and 36% of childhood poverty, according to an analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
That gives California the nation’s second-highest rate of housing-driven poverty, behind Hawaii, where housing costs account for 34% of overall poverty and 42% of childhood poverty.
Americans spend a significant share of their income on housing.
Half of all renters spend at least 30% of their income on rent, according to a 2025 Harvard study.
California’s median gross rent stands at $2,104, per to a July report from Investopedia, making it the third-most expensive state in the country.
