Real Estate and Rental Statistics 2026: US and India Data

Key facts

• US households spent an estimated $865.5 billion on rent in 2025.
• In rental property investing, the main occupation (property, real estate and community association managers) earns a median $66,700 a year (May 2024), with employment projected to grow 4% by 2034.
• In India, households spend an estimated ₹3,04,278 crore a year on rent, a pool shared by several kinds of business.
• India has about 17.9 lakh small businesses in real estate.

These real estate and rental statistics cover what households spend on housing, rent and other lodging, jobs and pay in property management and self-storage, and India’s rental and real estate businesses, from official sources.

Published November 2026. Sources: the US Census Bureau, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and India’s Ministry of Statistics (MoSPI); the full list is at the end. Market size figures are Advanton estimates from official data; see each source page for the method.

Sales and household spending in the US

• In total, US households spent an estimated $865.5 billion on rent in 2025 (average spending per household times about 138 million households). Source page
• The average US household spent $17,626 a year on shelter in 2025, 32.9% more than in 2021 ($13,258). Source page
• The average US household spent $9,988 a year on owned homes (mortgage interest, taxes, insurance, maintenance) in 2025, 31.6% more than in 2021 ($7,591). Source page
• The average US household spent $6,272 a year on rent in 2025, 33.9% more than in 2021 ($4,684). Source page
• The average US household spent $1,366 a year on other lodging (hotels, second homes, college housing) in 2025, 39.0% more than in 2021 ($983). Source page

Jobs and pay in the US

• Rental property investing: the main occupation, property, real estate and community association managers, earns a median $66,700 a year (May 2024), across 466,100 jobs nationally; employment is projected to grow 4% from 2024 to 2034, against 3% for all occupations. Source page
• Self storage businesses: the main occupation, property, real estate and community association managers, earns a median $66,700 a year (May 2024), across 466,100 jobs nationally; employment is projected to grow 4% from 2024 to 2034, against 3% for all occupations. Source page

The market in India

• Urban Indians spend ₹460 a person a month on rent, against ₹23 in rural India, where most households own their homes (MoSPI, HCES 2023-24). Source page
• Rental property investing, real estate services and property management companies compete for household spending on rent: about ₹3,04,278 crore a year in India, a pool shared with other businesses, not the market of any one of them (estimate). Source pages: Rental property investing · Real estate services · Property management companies

Small businesses in India

• Real estate: about 17.9 lakh small businesses in India, 58.6% of them in towns and cities; a typical urban one adds about ₹1,75,223 of value a year, a rural one ₹65,758 (MoSPI, ASUSE 2023-24). Source page
• Accommodation: about 1.9 lakh small businesses in India, 71.7% of them in towns and cities; a typical urban one adds about ₹11,81,509 of value a year, a rural one ₹7,75,802 (MoSPI, ASUSE 2023-24). Source page

How to cite these statistics

You are welcome to use these figures in articles, reports and client content. Credit the original agency and link to the Advanton page you used, for example: "US households spent an estimated $865.5 billion on rent in 2025 (via Advanton)." Each source page has ready-made APA, MLA and Chicago citations, a chart you can embed and the data as a download. See how to cite Advanton and our guide for SEO agencies and content teams.

Read the numbers carefully

• Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation unless stated; compare growth with price rises before calling it real growth (why it matters).
• India’s spending pools are shared: where several kinds of business compete for the same household spending, the pool is not the market of any one of them (why it matters).
• Pay is the median for each industry’s main occupation, from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, not the earnings of business owners.

More industry statistics

• All industry statistics and market size estimates for 200 business types
• Data stories: surprising findings from the same data

Sources

• Advanton estimate from MoSPI HCES 2023-24 (household spending), population projections for 2025 and MoSPI ASUSE 2023-24 (unincorporated enterprises)
• Advanton estimate from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey (average spending per consumer unit × number of consumer units)
• MoSPI, Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2023-24, full report, Appendix A Tables 4, 29, 33, 35 and 37 (survey period October 2023 to September 2024)
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures—2025 (news release USDL-26-1619, 29 October 2026), tables 1 to 3; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer expenditures in 2024 (BLS Report 1119, August 2026), tables 1 and 2
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (pay May 2024, projections 2024-34)

Last reviewed November 13, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.