Renters across the United States are facing growing difficulty keeping up with housing costs, and the strain is increasingly reaching households that fall in the middle of the income spectrum, according to a new analysis from the Urban Institute. Nearly 22% of middle-income renters surveyed said they were unable to pay the full amount of rent when it was due at least once in 2025 because they could not afford it. That compares with about 14% the previous year. The Urban Institute defines middle-income renters as single adults earning between $31,300 and $62,600 annually, or families of three earning between $53,300 and $106,600. The survey included more than 10,000 adults and is part of the institute’s annual research on household well-being and basic needs. The findings show that housing pressures are no longer confined to the lowest-income renters. Nearly 28% of lower-income renters reported being unable to pay for housing at some point in 2025, up gradually from about 24% in 2019. Among higher-income renters, roughly 7% missed or fell short on a housing payment last year, a two-percentage-point increase from the prior year. Researchers linked the worsening affordability picture to rising costs for everyday necessities. Slightly more than one in five renters also said they struggled to pay for utilities such as gas, oil or electricity during 2025. “We are seeing a larger segment of the overall population” forced to make difficult monthly choices, said Samantha Batko, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and a co-author of the report. Families may be paying for food or medicine while delaying rent, she said. The trend appears concentrated among renters. Homeowners’ ability to make mortgage payments has remained broadly steady over the past seven years, while the share of renters reporting that they were behind on rent has risen since 2022. The sharpest increases in missed or incomplete rent payments last year were reported in the South and Northeast, though researchers said affordability problems are affecting renters nationwide. Because eviction rules differ by state, even one missed payment can put some households at immediate risk of losing their homes. Batko said the rise in rent problems among middle-income families raises concerns about increased pressure on homelessness services. Eviction rates nationwide have remained relatively stable in recent years, according to Eviction Lab data, but researchers expect rent hardship to continue rising if living costs keep climbing. Access to assistance could also become more difficult. A proposed federal rule would allow administrators of housing-assistance programs to impose restrictions including time limits and work requirements. Housing advocates have warned that the changes could reduce access to rental subsidies and other aid for vulnerable households. For renters already living close to the edge, the findings underscore how quickly a short-term financial setback can become a housing crisis—and why local eviction-prevention programs, emergency rental assistance and affordable-housing investments remain important even for families who do not qualify as extremely low-income.