Housing Costs Rose Sharply in Decade--Study

The cost of keeping a roof over their heads jumped sharply for most Americans over 10 years, the government reported Tuesday.

In 1983, homeowners with mortgages spent $1 of every $5 they earned on their homes and renters $1 of every $3.45, both up sharply from 10 years earlier, according to the study by the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Renters spent an average of 29% of their income for rent, utilities and fuels for the home in 1983, the report said. Ten years earlier, those costs amounted to only 22% of income.

Total rent costs climbed to $315 a month from $133 a month over the period, an increase of 137%.

During the same period, the median family income for renters climbed only 79%, to $12,900 from $7,300. Median means half of the renters were above and half were below the figure.

For homeowners, data collection extends back only to 1974.

However, in that nine-year period, monthly housing costs have increased to 20% of gross income from 17%.

Monthly costs for mortgage payments, real estate taxes, property insurance, fuels and utilities climbed 120% in the period--to $463 from $210.

At the same time, median income of homeowners grew 94%--to $31,000 from $16,000.