apartments for rent north portland

A sign advertises apartments for rent in North Portland.

(Elliot Njus/The Oregonian)

The New York Times reported this week that

for a household making the median income to comfortably afford.

The report uses the 30 percent rule of thumb outlined by housing advocates and financial advisers — that households should put no more than 30 percent of their income toward housing expenses. In those 90 cities, as analyzed by the real estate website

, families making the median household income will exceed that 30 percent threshold by paying the median rent.

The upshot? In many cities, even the middle class is squeezed by rapid escalations in rent.

Portland isn't among those cities — but only barely.

is 29.8 percent of the median household income. It hit 30.0 percent in the year's first quarter, a seasonal peak.

That's without utilities. And some housing observers also call for the rule of thumb to include transportation costs, since many renters defray their costs by living farther from where they work.

Also worth noting: the median household probably isn't renting. And taking that into consideration, things look worse for those who are.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's

, more than half — 53 percent — of rental households in the Portland metro in 2011 were putting 30 percent or more of their income toward their housing costs.

As The Oregonian reported this morning,

and may help ease the escalation in rents. But once rents rise, barring a major financial shock, they're not quick to fall.

That means it's up to

to dig out of the hole. In the meantime, it's renters who are digging deep.

-- Elliot Njus