The vise of high housing costs continued to squeeze Floridians last year, with a growing percentage of people paying more than 30 percent of their gross income to put a roof over their heads, new census figures showed.

More than half of Florida renters paid more than the 30 percent threshold in 2007, an amount government housing officials consider reasonable to allow people to comfortably cover life's other necessities, like healthcare, food and transportation. That was more than any other state in the country.

With mortgage payments, the state ranked third after California and Nevada, with 48.9 percent of residents dishing out a substantial chunk of their earnings to pay the bank as well as other costs of ownership, like insurance and property taxes. The percentage nationally is 37.5 percent.

California, Florida and Nevada also lead the nation in the rate of home loans entering foreclosure.

The figures come from the U.S. Census' 2007 American Community Survey, which surveys a sample of the total population and has a wide margin of error.

The numbers reflect growing pressure on consumers in Florida, where inflation outpaces the nation amid high fuel, energy and food prices.

And South Florida, where incomes lagged housing appreciation over the past six years, ranks even worse than the state at large. More than 62 percent of homeowners in Miami-Dade surpassed the 30 percent limit, more than any other county in the state except Monroe, where 66 percent of respondents pay more than the benchmark. Monroe is home to a large population of retirees with lower income.

Broward followed closely with 56.1 percent. The median monthly housing cost in Miami-Dade and Broward counties was $1,926 -- half of the households surveyed for the study reported higher cost and the other half less. The median cost in Monroe was $2,952.

Last year, 6 percent more households began paying more than 30 percent in Miami-Dade compared to last year, and 5 percent more in Broward.

''It is clear there are consequences as it relates to recruiting talent,'' said Frank Nero, chief executive of the Beacon Council, a nonprofit economic development group that recruits industry to the area.

Daniella Levine, chief executive of the Human Services Coalition, said about half the residents in Miami-Dade shelters are working people who cannot afford rent or a mortgage.

The lack of an adequate financial cushion can imperil homeowners when they get hit with illness, divorce, job loss or something else that disrupts their income.

Lisa and Ron Sejba, refinanced their Pembroke Pines home three years ago, cashing out some equity so they could pay down other debt.

The refinance doubled their monthly payment to $1,600. Both were put out of work for medical reasons. They fell behind. Now, a slow economy has almost halved Ron Sejba's take home pay as a flat-rate auto mechanic. The couple were served foreclosure papers a few months ago.

''I have no savings left, no viable credit, and nothing to fall back on,'' said Lisa Sejba, 46, who works as a secretary at a Broward church.

Levine said such stories are common in South Florida and a direct consequence of the high cost of housing.

The prospect of rents falling in the future is slim to none for the segment of the workforce that is unable to pay more than roughly $1,000 a month, according to Still Hunter, vice president of investments for Marcus & Millichap, national real estate investment services company with an office in Fort Lauderdale.

Thousands of low- to moderate-income rental units were upgraded and converted to condos during the boom.

New units will be either high-end condo complexes or subsidized housing, leaving middle-income tenants with a dwindling supply.

''You have the bottom of the market covered and the top of the market covered, but the middle of the market there is no chance of any new competition being introduced. So, the likelihood of rents going backward is probably none,'' Hunter said.

His firm analyzed local rents for the three month period ending June 30 and found they were essentially flat over last year. The average rent in Miami-Dade and Broward counties was $1061.50.

Miami Herald staff writer Rob Barry contributed to this report.

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