The repeal of the eviction ban puts tenants and homeowners in the U.S. on notice.

A Maritzopa County constable places an eviction order for non-payment of rent in Phoenix on Oct. 1, 2020, despite a national moratorium on evictions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in place throughout the coronavirus pandemic. (John Moore via Getty Images)

A nationwide moratorium on evictions

A moratorium imposed nearly 11 months ago by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an emergency measure expired last weekend, though President Joe Biden has proposed extending it. The end of the moratorium, which was intended to protect renters unable to pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, alarmed tenant advocates, housing experts and others fearing the eviction of potentially millions of renters from their homes.

Tenant demographic information

Nationally, 36% of the nation's 122.8 million households were renters in 2019, the latest reliable estimate provided by the Census Bureau. Because certain demographic groups - young adults, racial and ethnic minorities, and low-income individuals - are more likely to rent, these groups may be proportionately more severely impacted when evictions resume.

Research data

The Pew Research Center used several data sources to analyze renters and landlords in the United States.

Distribution of race, ethnicity, and income among renters

Nationwide, about 58% of African American or African American-headed households rent, as do nearly 52% of Hispanic or Latino-headed households, according to a data analysis by the Pew Research Center based on Census data. In contrast, about a quarter of households headed by non-Hispanic white adults (27.9%) rent, as do slightly less than 40% of households headed by Asians.

Categories of landlords

Organizations of various types own 3.7 million properties (18.8%), but their shares account for 21.7 million units or 45% of the total. The majority of rental properties are owned by individuals, but only a small share of individuals own rental properties, according to tax data from the IMTS.

The share of rent in tenants' expenses

Of the nearly 44.1 million rental households in 2019, more than 45% paid rent that was equal to 30% or more of their total family income (30% is a common rule of thumb for what portion of gross income a person should spend on housing).