How Much Rent Can I Afford?
The standard rule is to spend no more than 30% of your gross income on rent. Use the calculator for your exact pay, or pick a wage below to see which US cities actually fit that budget, using current rents across 407 cities. It takes about $26 an hour before a two-bedroom fits in at least half of them.
Rent Affordability Calculator
Enter your pay to see the most rent you can comfortably take on.
30%
30% is the standard rule; above it HUD counts you as cost-burdened.
Maximum monthly rent
$1,040
$41,600/yr · $3,467/mo gross
Rent you can afford by hourly wage
Full-time (40 hours a week). Click a wage for the cities that fit it.
| Pay | Max rent (30%) | Cities with an affordable 1BR | …2BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12/hr | $624/mo | 1 of 407 (0%) | 0% |
| $13/hr | $676/mo | 1 of 407 (0%) | 0% |
| $14/hr | $728/mo | 9 of 407 (2%) | 0% |
| $15/hr | $780/mo | 31 of 407 (8%) | 0% |
| $16/hr | $832/mo | 56 of 407 (14%) | 0% |
| $17/hr | $884/mo | 88 of 407 (22%) | 1% |
| $18/hr | $936/mo | 124 of 407 (30%) | 4% |
| $19/hr | $988/mo | 160 of 407 (39%) | 7% |
| $20/hr | $1,040/mo | 178 of 407 (44%) | 13% |
| $21/hr | $1,092/mo | 210 of 407 (52%) | 21% |
| $22/hr | $1,144/mo | 237 of 407 (58%) | 29% |
| $23/hr | $1,196/mo | 255 of 407 (63%) | 37% |
| $24/hr | $1,248/mo | 278 of 407 (68%) | 44% |
| $25/hr | $1,300/mo | 290 of 407 (71%) | 49% |
| $26/hr | $1,352/mo | 300 of 407 (74%) | 53% |
| $27/hr | $1,404/mo | 313 of 407 (77%) | 57% |
| $28/hr | $1,456/mo | 322 of 407 (79%) | 61% |
| $29/hr | $1,508/mo | 332 of 407 (82%) | 66% |
| $30/hr | $1,560/mo | 339 of 407 (83%) | 69% |
| $31/hr | $1,612/mo | 351 of 407 (86%) | 73% |
| $32/hr | $1,664/mo | 363 of 407 (89%) | 75% |
| $33/hr | $1,716/mo | 370 of 407 (91%) | 77% |
| $34/hr | $1,768/mo | 374 of 407 (92%) | 80% |
| $35/hr | $1,820/mo | 379 of 407 (93%) | 81% |
| $36/hr | $1,872/mo | 383 of 407 (94%) | 84% |
| $37/hr | $1,924/mo | 386 of 407 (95%) | 85% |
| $38/hr | $1,976/mo | 387 of 407 (95%) | 88% |
| $39/hr | $2,028/mo | 387 of 407 (95%) | 89% |
| $40/hr | $2,080/mo | 390 of 407 (96%) | 90% |
| $41/hr | $2,132/mo | 393 of 407 (97%) | 91% |
| $42/hr | $2,184/mo | 395 of 407 (97%) | 92% |
| $43/hr | $2,236/mo | 396 of 407 (97%) | 93% |
| $44/hr | $2,288/mo | 397 of 407 (98%) | 93% |
| $45/hr | $2,340/mo | 399 of 407 (98%) | 94% |
| $46/hr | $2,392/mo | 399 of 407 (98%) | 95% |
| $47/hr | $2,444/mo | 400 of 407 (98%) | 96% |
| $48/hr | $2,496/mo | 402 of 407 (99%) | 96% |
| $49/hr | $2,548/mo | 403 of 407 (99%) | 96% |
| $50/hr | $2,600/mo | 403 of 407 (99%) | 96% |
Rent you can afford by salary
Gross yearly salary before taxes.
| Pay | Max rent (30%) | Cities with an affordable 1BR | …2BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25K/yr | $625/mo | 1 of 407 (0%) | 0% |
| $30K/yr | $750/mo | 16 of 407 (4%) | 0% |
| $35K/yr | $875/mo | 78 of 407 (19%) | 1% |
| $40K/yr | $1,000/mo | 169 of 407 (42%) | 10% |
| $45K/yr | $1,125/mo | 228 of 407 (56%) | 26% |
| $50K/yr | $1,250/mo | 278 of 407 (68%) | 45% |
| $55K/yr | $1,375/mo | 308 of 407 (76%) | 55% |
| $60K/yr | $1,500/mo | 332 of 407 (82%) | 65% |
| $65K/yr | $1,625/mo | 354 of 407 (87%) | 73% |
| $70K/yr | $1,750/mo | 372 of 407 (91%) | 79% |
| $75K/yr | $1,875/mo | 383 of 407 (94%) | 84% |
| $80K/yr | $2,000/mo | 387 of 407 (95%) | 88% |
| $85K/yr | $2,125/mo | 392 of 407 (96%) | 91% |
| $90K/yr | $2,250/mo | 397 of 407 (98%) | 93% |
| $95K/yr | $2,375/mo | 399 of 407 (98%) | 95% |
| $100K/yr | $2,500/mo | 402 of 407 (99%) | 96% |
| $110K/yr | $2,750/mo | 404 of 407 (99%) | 98% |
| $120K/yr | $3,000/mo | 406 of 407 (100%) | 99% |
| $130K/yr | $3,250/mo | 407 of 407 (100%) | 99% |
| $140K/yr | $3,500/mo | 407 of 407 (100%) | 100% |
| $150K/yr | $3,750/mo | 407 of 407 (100%) | 100% |
| $160K/yr | $4,000/mo | 407 of 407 (100%) | 100% |
| $170K/yr | $4,250/mo | 407 of 407 (100%) | 100% |
| $180K/yr | $4,500/mo | 407 of 407 (100%) | 100% |
| $190K/yr | $4,750/mo | 407 of 407 (100%) | 100% |
| $200K/yr | $5,000/mo | 407 of 407 (100%) | 100% |
Rents are HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent, including utilities). "Affordable" means the average rent is at or below 30% of gross income. See our methodology.