How Much Rent Can I Afford Making $39 an Hour?
On $39 an hour ($81,120 a year full-time), you can afford about $2,028 a month in rent. That budget covers the average one-bedroom in 387 of 407 US cities (95%) and a two-bedroom in 363 (89%).
Gross income: $81,120/yr ($6,760/mo). Landlords using the 40× rule would approve rent up to $2,028/mo — the same as the 30% rule. A typical US one-bedroom ($1,085/mo) takes $20.87/hr.
Largest cities where $39/hr covers a 1-bedroom
Ranked by metro size. "Left over" is what remains of your $2,028 budget.
| City | 1BR rent | 2BR rent | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $1,560 | $1,761 | +$468 |
| Dallas, TX | $1,606 | $1,884 | +$422 |
| Houston, TX | $1,279 | $1,529 | +$749 |
| Atlanta, GA | $1,653 | $1,830 | +$375 |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | $1,929 | $2,388 | +$99 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,679 | $1,950 | +$349 |
| Riverside, CA | $1,852 | $2,306 | +$176 |
| Detroit, MI | $1,090 | $1,378 | +$938 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $1,381 | $1,685 | +$647 |
| Tampa, FL | $1,686 | $1,978 | +$342 |
| Denver, CO | $1,789 | $2,140 | +$239 |
| Baltimore, MD | $1,604 | $1,965 | +$424 |
| Orlando, FL | $1,727 | $1,958 | +$301 |
| Charlotte, NC | $1,647 | $1,824 | +$381 |
| San Antonio, TX | $1,231 | $1,501 | +$797 |
Big cities out of reach on $39/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 |
| Boston, MA | $2,394 | $46.04/hr |
| San Francisco, CA | $2,780 | $53.46/hr |
| Seattle, WA | $2,293 | $44.10/hr |
| San Diego, CA | $2,328 | $44.77/hr |
| Jersey City, NJ | $2,029 | $39.02/hr |
| Nassau, NY | $2,241 | $43.10/hr |
| San Jose, CA | $2,975 | $57.21/hr |
Where $39/hr goes furthest, by state
Share of each state's cities where the average 1-bedroom fits a $2,028 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 |
| Colorado | 7 of 7 (100%) | Pueblo · $959 |
| Delaware | 1 of 1 (100%) | Dover · $1,181 |
| Florida | 25 of 25 (100%) | Homosassa Springs · $951 |
| 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 |
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 $39 an Hour?
On $39 an hour ($81,120 a year full-time) you can afford about $2,028 a month in rent using the 30% rule. A tighter 25% budget is $1,690; stretching to 40% allows $2,704.
Is $39 an hour enough to rent an apartment?
In 387 of 407 US cities (95%) the average one-bedroom rent fits within $2,028/mo, and a two-bedroom fits in 363 (89%). 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 $81,120 that caps rent at $2,028/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.