{
  "id": 9342437,
  "title": "More and more middle-income Americans are struggling to make rent",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/more-and-more-middle-income-americans-are-struggling-to-make-rent",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-23T13:31:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/more-middle-income-renters-struggling-rent-feeling-bad-stacking-jobs-2026-9"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Middle-income Americans are facing increasing challenges in paying their rent, a new report from the Urban Institute reveals. In 2025, 21.6% of middle-income renters struggled to pay their rent on time, the highest percentage since the survey began in 2019. This is a significant increase from 14.3% in 2024. Rent payment troubles among middle-income renters, who earn between 200% to 400% of the federal poverty line, have risen sharply. Despite lower-income renters, earning below 200% of the federal poverty line, remaining the most likely to have trouble paying their rents, the surge in rent issues among middle-income households adds pressure to their economic situation. Middle-income workers are increasingly identified as working class, and many hold multiple jobs to make ends meet. This financial strain is contributing to a downward trend, as middle-income earners opt for cheaper rental units, leading landlords to favor higher-income tenants. As prices remain high and borrowing costs increase, alleviating the economic pressures faced by middle and lower-income households may prove challenging.",
  "summary": "Middle-income Americans increasingly say they couldn't pay their rent on time. It's another warning sign for America's middle class.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}