How Much Rent Can I Afford Making $34 an Hour?
On $34 an hour ($70,720 a year full-time), you can afford about $1,768 a month in rent. That budget covers the average one-bedroom in 374 of 407 US cities (92%) and a two-bedroom in 325 (80%).
Gross income: $70,720/yr ($5,893/mo). Landlords using the 40× rule would approve rent up to $1,768/mo — the same as the 30% rule. A typical US one-bedroom ($1,085/mo) takes $20.87/hr.
Largest cities where $34/hr covers a 1-bedroom
Ranked by metro size. "Left over" is what remains of your $1,768 budget.
| City | 1BR rent | 2BR rent | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $1,560 | $1,761 | +$208 |
| Dallas, TX | $1,606 | $1,884 | +$162 |
| Houston, TX | $1,279 | $1,529 | +$489 |
| Atlanta, GA | $1,653 | $1,830 | +$115 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,679 | $1,950 | +$89 |
| Detroit, MI | $1,090 | $1,378 | +$678 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $1,381 | $1,685 | +$387 |
| Tampa, FL | $1,686 | $1,978 | +$82 |
| Baltimore, MD | $1,604 | $1,965 | +$164 |
| Orlando, FL | $1,727 | $1,958 | +$41 |
| Charlotte, NC | $1,647 | $1,824 | +$121 |
| San Antonio, TX | $1,231 | $1,501 | +$537 |
| Portland, OR | $1,750 | $1,997 | +$18 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $1,068 | $1,280 | +$700 |
| Austin, TX | $1,650 | $1,949 | +$118 |
Big cities out of reach on $34/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 |
| Washington, DC | $2,056 | $39.54/hr |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | $1,929 | $37.10/hr |
| Boston, MA | $2,394 | $46.04/hr |
| San Francisco, CA | $2,780 | $53.46/hr |
| Riverside, CA | $1,852 | $35.62/hr |
| Seattle, WA | $2,293 | $44.10/hr |
| San Diego, CA | $2,328 | $44.77/hr |
| Denver, CO | $1,789 | $34.40/hr |
Where $34/hr goes furthest, by state
Share of each state's cities where the average 1-bedroom fits a $1,768 budget.
| State | 1BR affordable | Cheapest city (1BR) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 12 of 12 (100%) | Dothan · $722 |
| Alaska | 16 of 16 (100%) | Kusilvak Census · $730 |
| Arizona | 8 of 8 (100%) | Prescott · $894 |
| Arkansas | 6 of 6 (100%) | Pine Bluff · $684 |
| Delaware | 1 of 1 (100%) | Dover · $1,181 |
| Georgia | 13 of 13 (100%) | Dalton · $838 |
| Idaho | 5 of 5 (100%) | Pocatello · $868 |
| Illinois | 9 of 9 (100%) | Bloomington · $682 |
| Indiana | 14 of 14 (100%) | Terre Haute · $788 |
| Iowa | 7 of 7 (100%) | Cedar Rapids · $757 |
| Kansas | 4 of 4 (100%) | Topeka · $752 |
| Kentucky | 4 of 4 (100%) | Owensboro · $860 |
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 $34 an Hour?
On $34 an hour ($70,720 a year full-time) you can afford about $1,768 a month in rent using the 30% rule. A tighter 25% budget is $1,473; stretching to 40% allows $2,357.
Is $34 an hour enough to rent an apartment?
In 374 of 407 US cities (92%) the average one-bedroom rent fits within $1,768/mo, and a two-bedroom fits in 325 (80%). The largest cities where a 1BR fits: Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Houston, 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 $70,720 that caps rent at $1,768/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.