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Is high rent hazardous to your health? A new study by Princeton University sociologists and Census Bureau analysts indicates that it may well be.

The study appears in the January issue of Social Science & Medicine.

As for the numbers, someone whose rent totaled 50% of his/her income in 2000 was 9% more likely to die over the next 20 years than someone shelling out 30% of his/her income for rent, the study says.

Those who paid 70% of their income for rent had it even worse, showing a 12% higher likelihood of death than those forking over 30%.

We’re constantly reminded of ways in which poor people’s health is threatened more than the rich – from tainted drinking water to lack of access to high-quality medical care.

The Silver Lining for Rents

When it comes to rents at least, there is some good news. In November, the median U.S. rent fell year over year for the seventh month in a row — 0.6% for studio to two bedroom properties, according to Realtor.com.

The median rent of $1,717 dipped $12, or 0.7%, from October. Unfortunately that rent was only $59, or 3.3%, below the record level of $1,776 in July 2022. And it was $313, or 22.3%, higher than the pre-pandemic level four years earlier.

Still, “renters are finally catching a break,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist of real estate brokerage Redfin. “Better deals are easier to come by because landlords are doling out concessions and rents have started falling in a meaningful way.”

Rising Supply

In addition, “rising supply means renters have more good options to choose from,” he said. “With homeownership so expensive, renting has started to lose its stigma.”

Not everyone expects the positive trend to continue, however. “Permits for new construction are lower, which means that the boom in supply that has brought rents down in some markets will likely slow in 2024, which could put upward pressure on rents again,” Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS, a real estate information service, told USA Today.

The seasonally-adjusted annual rate of residential building permits dropped 2.5% in November to 1.46 million from 1.5 million in October. That includes single-family homes and apartment buildings.

So it’s hard to know exactly which way rents are headed.