Survey shows 42% of workers would decline job offer based on housing costs
of ConsumerAffairsMay 16, 2025
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Housing benefits are emerging as a key factor in job decisions, influencing relocation, in-office attendance, and long-term employee retention.
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61% of employees would change jobs for better housing perks, yet only 4% of employers currently offer them.
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Employers are hesitant due to cost, but younger workers show strong interest, signaling a generational shift in workplace expectations.
Maybe you’re a talented computer engineer in Indianapolis and you get a job offer from a tech company in Silicon Valley. But your excitement turns to concern as you start looking at housing costs in San Jose.
As housing costs surge across the U.S., theyre beginning to play a surprising new role in how Americans think about work. No longer just a matter of geography or lifestyle, where and how employees live is becoming a strategic business concern and a new study suggests companies may need to catch up.
According to the study surveying 800 employees and 200 employers, nearly two-thirds (61%) of workers say they’d switch jobs if the new employer offered housing benefits like rent stipends or down payment assistance. Younger workers, in particular, are leading the charge: 69% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials reported they’d make the jump for housing perks.
And its not just job switching. A majority of remote workers (52%) said theyd return to the office if their employer helped pay for housing. Others would give up more personal benefits: more than one in four would trade paid time off, and 38% said theyd accept a pay cut averaging 10% in exchange for housing help.
Whos offering housing aid and who isnt
Despite employee demand, employer adoption so far is limited. Just 4% of employers currently offer housing benefits, and only 10% are actively considering it. The industries most likely to embrace these perks include tech, legal, finance, healthcare, and marketing sectors where talent competition is fierce and where cost-of-living pressures are acute.
Still, even among cautious employers, theres growing acknowledgment that housing support could become a standard benefit. Nearly one in three employers (32%) believe housing perks will be commonplace in the next 10 years.
But the road to implementation isnt simple. Cost is the top concern, with over half of employers (56%) saying its too expensive. Others cite long-term liability (49%) and compliance issues (41%). Some see potential trade-offs: 35% said theyd consider offering housing support instead of a salary raise, but only if the employee agrees.
Housing pressure and workforce behavior
The broader impact of unaffordable housing is already evident in hiring and retention. More than two in five employees (42%) say theyve declined better job offers because housing in the new location was too expensive. Concerns about relocation costs, housing availability, and cost of living top the list of reasons workers stay put.
This hesitancy affects businesses, too. One-quarter of employers say housing prices have made it harder to hire or keep employees, and in high-cost cities, that number jumps to 40%.
For employees, the math is personal. When asked to choose between a $5,000 raise, employer-assisted housing, or unlimited PTO, a majority still picked the raise. However, 25% chose housing, and among Gen Z, that number climbed to 29% a signal that for the next generation of workers, stability may outweigh cash.
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