Contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (water, electricity, gas) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.)to the extent that these are paid for by the renter (or paid for by a relative, welfare agency, or friend) in addition to the rent. Gross rent is calculated for "specified renter-occupied" housing units, which excludes one-family houses on 10 acres or mops. Gross rent is sometimes preferred to contract rent in comparing costs since contract rent may or may not include utilities.

While public-use microdata show gross rent in dollar amounts (up to $l, 000), the data are not that precise. One reason is that the basic component, contract rent, is reported by the respondent in terms of intervals. To calculate gross rent, the respondent report is converted to a dollar amount by taking the midpoint of the interval; for example, $55 is used for the interval "$50 to $59" ($35 is taken as the value for "less than $50"; $550 is taken as the value for "$500 or more"). To that figure is added the reported average monthly cost of electricity and gas, and one-twelfth of the reported yearly cost of water and fuels. Gross rent data are typically tabulated in the same intervals as are used for contract rent. A unit classified as "no cash rent" in contract rent is also classified that way in gross rent, even if the unit's occupants pay for utilities themselves. Gross rent is calculated on a sample basis.