Korean Journal of Human Ecology

The purpose of this study was to examine influence of home energy cost on housing cost burden of Korean and U.S. monthly renter households in urban areas and to explore influences of household and housing characteristics on their home energy cost burden. Microdata for this research was extracted from the 2011 Korean Household Budget Survey and 2009 American Housing Survey. Monthly renter households in urban areas were initially grouped based on household income, followed by a detailed analysis of housing and home energy cost. Findings are as follows: (1) The maximum ratio of home energy cost to household house hold income in Korea was 49 % compared to 83 % in the US; (2) Energy cost to income ratio were found to have significant influences on housing cost burden and lower income households ’ housing cost burden was found more vulnerable to their energy cost; (3) In general, the energy cost burden of low-income renter households in Korea tended to be influenced by household size, the number of household members staying at home during daytime hours and housing unit size. The energy cost burden of low-income renter households in the U.S. tended to be influenced by home structure type, size and age, the householder’s age, race, educational attainment, the household size, number of wage earners per household, income, and the number of househol