How Much Rent Can I Afford Making $17 an Hour?
On $17 an hour ($35,360 a year full-time), you can afford about $884 a month in rent. That budget covers the average one-bedroom in 88 of 407 US cities (22%) and a two-bedroom in 4 (1%).
Gross income: $35,360/yr ($2,947/mo). Landlords using the 40× rule would approve rent up to $884/mo — the same as the 30% rule. A typical US one-bedroom ($1,085/mo) takes $20.87/hr.
Largest cities where $17/hr covers a 1-bedroom
Ranked by metro size. "Left over" is what remains of your $884 budget.
| City | 1BR rent | 2BR rent | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen, TX | $798 | $992 | +$86 |
| Akron, OH | $880 | $1,131 | +$4 |
| Wichita, KS | $760 | $995 | +$124 |
| Toledo, OH | $805 | $1,056 | +$79 |
| Springfield, MO | $795 | $998 | +$89 |
| Sharon, PA | $721 | $908 | +$163 |
| Brownsville, TX | $757 | $948 | +$127 |
| Flint, MI | $806 | $986 | +$78 |
| Canton, OH | $755 | $978 | +$129 |
| Hickory, NC | $851 | $1,046 | +$33 |
| Peoria, IL | $790 | $1,003 | +$94 |
| Kingsport, TN | $824 | $1,043 | +$60 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | $882 | $1,030 | +$2 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $757 | $993 | +$127 |
| Evansville, IN | $821 | $1,054 | +$63 |
Big cities out of reach on $17/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 $17/hr goes furthest, by state
Share of each state's cities where the average 1-bedroom fits a $884 budget.
| State | 1BR affordable | Cheapest city (1BR) |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 4 of 4 (100%) | Jefferson City · $681 |
| South Dakota | 2 of 2 (100%) | Rapid City · $856 |
| Ohio | 8 of 10 (80%) | Dayton · $680 |
| Kansas | 3 of 4 (75%) | Topeka · $752 |
| West Virginia | 3 of 4 (75%) | Parkersburg · $776 |
| Arkansas | 4 of 6 (67%) | Pine Bluff · $684 |
| Iowa | 4 of 7 (57%) | Cedar Rapids · $757 |
| Wisconsin | 6 of 11 (55%) | Wausau · $803 |
| Indiana | 7 of 14 (50%) | Terre Haute · $788 |
| Kentucky | 2 of 4 (50%) | Owensboro · $860 |
| Oklahoma | 2 of 4 (50%) | Enid · $747 |
| Wyoming | 1 of 2 (50%) | Casper · $868 |
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 $17 an Hour?
On $17 an hour ($35,360 a year full-time) you can afford about $884 a month in rent using the 30% rule. A tighter 25% budget is $737; stretching to 40% allows $1,179.
Is $17 an hour enough to rent an apartment?
In 88 of 407 US cities (22%) the average one-bedroom rent fits within $884/mo, and a two-bedroom fits in 4 (1%). The largest cities where a 1BR fits: McAllen, TX; Akron, OH; Wichita, KS.
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 $35,360 that caps rent at $884/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.