How Much Rent Can I Afford Making $21 an Hour?
On $21 an hour ($43,680 a year full-time), you can afford about $1,092 a month in rent. That budget covers the average one-bedroom in 210 of 407 US cities (52%) and a two-bedroom in 84 (21%).
Gross income: $43,680/yr ($3,640/mo). Landlords using the 40× rule would approve rent up to $1,092/mo — the same as the 30% rule. A typical US one-bedroom ($1,085/mo) takes $20.87/hr.
Largest cities where $21/hr covers a 1-bedroom
Ranked by metro size. "Left over" is what remains of your $1,092 budget.
| City | 1BR rent | 2BR rent | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | $1,090 | $1,378 | +$2 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $1,068 | $1,280 | +$24 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $1,056 | $1,257 | +$36 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $961 | $1,180 | +$131 |
| Buffalo, NY | $1,001 | $1,176 | +$91 |
| Tucson, AZ | $1,052 | $1,373 | +$40 |
| Tulsa, OK | $950 | $1,179 | +$142 |
| Gary, IN | $985 | $1,197 | +$107 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,084 | $1,331 | +$8 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $1,064 | $1,380 | +$28 |
| McAllen, TX | $798 | $992 | +$294 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $1,081 | $1,222 | +$11 |
| El Paso, TX | $1,020 | $1,192 | +$72 |
| Greensboro, NC | $1,039 | $1,150 | +$53 |
| Lakeland, FL | $1,092 | $1,337 | +$0 |
Big cities out of reach on $21/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 $21/hr goes furthest, by state
Share of each state's cities where the average 1-bedroom fits a $1,092 budget.
| State | 1BR affordable | Cheapest city (1BR) |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 6 of 6 (100%) | Pine Bluff · $684 |
| Iowa | 7 of 7 (100%) | Cedar Rapids · $757 |
| Kansas | 4 of 4 (100%) | Topeka · $752 |
| Kentucky | 4 of 4 (100%) | Owensboro · $860 |
| Mississippi | 4 of 4 (100%) | Gulfport · $896 |
| Missouri | 4 of 4 (100%) | Jefferson City · $681 |
| Nebraska | 1 of 1 (100%) | Lincoln · $910 |
| North Dakota | 1 of 1 (100%) | Bismarck · $917 |
| Oklahoma | 4 of 4 (100%) | Enid · $747 |
| South Dakota | 2 of 2 (100%) | Rapid City · $856 |
| West Virginia | 4 of 4 (100%) | Parkersburg · $776 |
| Wyoming | 2 of 2 (100%) | 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 $21 an Hour?
On $21 an hour ($43,680 a year full-time) you can afford about $1,092 a month in rent using the 30% rule. A tighter 25% budget is $910; stretching to 40% allows $1,456.
Is $21 an hour enough to rent an apartment?
In 210 of 407 US cities (52%) the average one-bedroom rent fits within $1,092/mo, and a two-bedroom fits in 84 (21%). The largest cities where a 1BR fits: Detroit, MI; Pittsburgh, PA; Milwaukee, WI.
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 $43,680 that caps rent at $1,092/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.