How Much Rent Can I Afford Making $15 an Hour?
On $15 an hour ($31,200 a year full-time), you can afford about $780 a month in rent. That budget covers the average one-bedroom in 31 of 407 US cities (8%) and a two-bedroom in 1 (0%).
Gross income: $31,200/yr ($2,600/mo). Landlords using the 40× rule would approve rent up to $780/mo — the same as the 30% rule. A typical US one-bedroom ($1,085/mo) takes $20.87/hr.
Largest cities where $15/hr covers a 1-bedroom
Ranked by metro size. "Left over" is what remains of your $780 budget.
| City | 1BR rent | 2BR rent | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita, KS | $760 | $995 | +$20 |
| Sharon, PA | $721 | $908 | +$59 |
| Brownsville, TX | $757 | $948 | +$23 |
| Canton, OH | $755 | $978 | +$25 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $757 | $993 | +$23 |
| Topeka, KS | $752 | $985 | +$28 |
| Fort Smith, AR | $694 | $910 | +$86 |
| Monroe, LA | $767 | $995 | +$13 |
| Bloomington, IL | $682 | $853 | +$98 |
| Waterloo, IA | $760 | $997 | +$20 |
| Dayton, OH | $680 | $872 | +$100 |
| Decatur, AL | $756 | $923 | +$24 |
| Florence, AL | $743 | $974 | +$37 |
| Dothan, AL | $722 | $896 | +$58 |
| Alexandria, LA | $762 | $1,000 | +$18 |
Big cities out of reach on $15/hr
The full-time hourly wage you would need to keep a 1-bedroom at 30% of income.
| City | 1BR rent | Wage needed |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $2,511 | $48.29/hr |
| Santa Ana, CA | $2,454 | $47.19/hr |
| Chicago, IL | $1,560 | $30.00/hr |
| Dallas, TX | $1,606 | $30.88/hr |
| Houston, TX | $1,279 | $24.60/hr |
| Washington, DC | $2,056 | $39.54/hr |
| Atlanta, GA | $1,653 | $31.79/hr |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | $1,929 | $37.10/hr |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,679 | $32.29/hr |
| Boston, MA | $2,394 | $46.04/hr |
Where $15/hr goes furthest, by state
Share of each state's cities where the average 1-bedroom fits a $780 budget.
| State | 1BR affordable | Cheapest city (1BR) |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 2 of 4 (50%) | Topeka · $752 |
| Oklahoma | 2 of 4 (50%) | Enid · $747 |
| Iowa | 3 of 7 (43%) | Cedar Rapids · $757 |
| Ohio | 4 of 10 (40%) | Dayton · $680 |
| Alabama | 4 of 12 (33%) | Dothan · $722 |
| Arkansas | 2 of 6 (33%) | Pine Bluff · $684 |
| Missouri | 1 of 4 (25%) | Jefferson City · $681 |
| West Virginia | 1 of 4 (25%) | Parkersburg · $776 |
| Illinois | 2 of 9 (22%) | Bloomington · $682 |
| Louisiana | 2 of 9 (22%) | Alexandria · $762 |
| Maryland | 1 of 5 (20%) | Cumberland · $747 |
| Alaska | 2 of 16 (13%) | Kusilvak Census · $730 |
Rent Affordability Calculator
Enter your pay to see the most rent you can comfortably take on.
30% is the standard rule; above it HUD counts you as cost-burdened.
- ❌ Typical US 1-bedroom ($1,085/mo)
- ❌ Typical US 2-bedroom ($1,321/mo)
Frequently asked questions
How Much Rent Can I Afford Making $15 an Hour?
On $15 an hour ($31,200 a year full-time) you can afford about $780 a month in rent using the 30% rule. A tighter 25% budget is $650; stretching to 40% allows $1,040.
Is $15 an hour enough to rent an apartment?
In 31 of 407 US cities (8%) the average one-bedroom rent fits within $780/mo, and a two-bedroom fits in 1 (0%). The largest cities where a 1BR fits: Wichita, KS; Sharon, PA; Brownsville, TX.
How much do I need to make to afford a typical one-bedroom?
The median one-bedroom rent across US cities is $1,085/mo. Keeping that at 30% of income takes $43,400 a year, or $20.87 an hour full-time.
What is the 40x rent rule?
Many landlords require a yearly income of at least 40 times the monthly rent. On $31,200 that caps rent at $780/mo — the same limit as the 30% rule.
Rents are HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent, including utilities) for each city's metro area. Income is gross pay before taxes; full-time = 2,080 hours a year. See our methodology.