Salary needed to afford rent, by metro
All 100 metros, sorted from the most expensive. 27 of them need more than the national $77,280. The salary is gross (before tax) pay for one earner; two earners can split it.
| Salary needed | Hourly | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $1,932 | $77,280 | $37.15 | +2.7% |
| San Jose, CA | $3,812 | $152,480 | $73.31 | +8.3% |
| New York, NY | $3,546 | $141,840 | $68.19 | +4.2% |
| San Francisco, CA | $3,445 | $137,800 | $66.25 | +11.8% |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $3,015 | $120,600 | $57.98 | +4.1% |
| Boston, MA | $2,987 | $119,480 | $57.44 | +2.3% |
| San Diego, CA | $2,967 | $118,680 | $57.06 | +2.2% |
| Oxnard, CA | $2,955 | $118,200 | $56.83 | +1.9% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $2,929 | $117,160 | $56.33 | +1.8% |
| Bridgeport, CT | $2,880 | $115,200 | $55.38 | +2.9% |
| Miami, FL | $2,654 | $106,160 | $51.04 | +1.8% |
| Riverside, CA | $2,533 | $101,320 | $48.71 | +2.9% |
| Stockton, CA | $2,431 | $97,240 | $46.75 | +1.9% |
| Washington, DC | $2,407 | $96,280 | $46.29 | +1.3% |
| Sacramento, CA | $2,269 | $90,760 | $43.63 | +1.8% |
| Poughkeepsie, NY | $2,259 | $90,360 | $43.44 | +3.6% |
| Seattle, WA | $2,250 | $90,000 | $43.27 | +1.8% |
| Providence, RI | $2,166 | $86,640 | $41.65 | +4.2% |
| Chicago, IL | $2,163 | $86,520 | $41.60 | +4.7% |
| North Port, FL | $2,106 | $84,240 | $40.50 | +0.0% |
| Worcester, MA | $2,105 | $84,200 | $40.48 | +1.4% |
| Fresno, CA | $2,052 | $82,080 | $39.46 | +3.5% |
| New Haven, CT | $2,043 | $81,720 | $39.29 | +2.7% |
| Charleston, SC | $2,037 | $81,480 | $39.17 | +4.4% |
| Hartford, CT | $1,998 | $79,920 | $38.42 | +3.5% |
| Tampa, FL | $1,991 | $79,640 | $38.29 | +0.5% |
| Springfield, MA | $1,963 | $78,520 | $37.75 | +3.7% |
| Baltimore, MD | $1,937 | $77,480 | $37.25 | +2.7% |
| Orlando, FL | $1,929 | $77,160 | $37.10 | +0.8% |
| Boise City, ID | $1,924 | $76,960 | $37.00 | +7.6% |
| Philadelphia, PA | $1,903 | $76,120 | $36.60 | +3.3% |
| Denver, CO | $1,900 | $76,000 | $36.54 | +0.1% |
| Palm Bay, FL | $1,887 | $75,480 | $36.29 | +1.6% |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $1,886 | $75,440 | $36.27 | +7.1% |
| Atlanta, GA | $1,843 | $73,720 | $35.44 | +2.1% |
| Allentown, PA | $1,841 | $73,640 | $35.40 | +3.1% |
| Cape Coral, FL | $1,827 | $73,080 | $35.13 | -0.1% |
| Bakersfield, CA | $1,822 | $72,880 | $35.04 | +3.0% |
| Lakeland, FL | $1,814 | $72,560 | $34.88 | +0.9% |
| Portland, OR | $1,803 | $72,120 | $34.67 | +1.1% |
| Nashville, TN | $1,803 | $72,120 | $34.67 | +1.2% |
| Madison, WI | $1,780 | $71,200 | $34.23 | +2.1% |
| Provo, UT | $1,773 | $70,920 | $34.10 | +1.8% |
| Deltona, FL | $1,767 | $70,680 | $33.98 | +1.3% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $1,764 | $70,560 | $33.92 | +2.9% |
| Minneapolis, MN | $1,736 | $69,440 | $33.38 | +3.5% |
| Charlotte, NC | $1,735 | $69,400 | $33.37 | +1.4% |
| Las Vegas, NV | $1,732 | $69,280 | $33.31 | +0.5% |
| Knoxville, TN | $1,725 | $69,000 | $33.17 | +1.4% |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,720 | $68,800 | $33.08 | +1.0% |
| Richmond, VA | $1,706 | $68,240 | $32.81 | +2.5% |
| Albany, NY | $1,693 | $67,720 | $32.56 | +4.7% |
| Jacksonville, FL | $1,680 | $67,200 | $32.31 | +2.2% |
| Raleigh, NC | $1,669 | $66,760 | $32.10 | +1.4% |
| Dallas, TX | $1,659 | $66,360 | $31.90 | +0.7% |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $1,644 | $65,760 | $31.62 | +0.7% |
| Durham, NC | $1,640 | $65,600 | $31.54 | +2.6% |
| Houston, TX | $1,638 | $65,520 | $31.50 | +0.1% |
| Ogden, UT | $1,631 | $65,240 | $31.37 | +1.7% |
| Syracuse, NY | $1,627 | $65,080 | $31.29 | +3.2% |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $1,614 | $64,560 | $31.04 | +4.3% |
| Austin, TX | $1,603 | $64,120 | $30.83 | +0.7% |
| New Orleans, LA | $1,577 | $63,080 | $30.33 | +1.7% |
| Greenville, SC | $1,566 | $62,640 | $30.12 | +2.6% |
| Columbia, SC | $1,557 | $62,280 | $29.94 | +2.2% |
| Milwaukee, WI | $1,549 | $61,960 | $29.79 | +5.1% |
| Kansas City, MO | $1,534 | $61,360 | $29.50 | +3.9% |
| Rochester, NY | $1,532 | $61,280 | $29.46 | +2.7% |
| Winston, NC | $1,529 | $61,160 | $29.40 | +4.6% |
| Indianapolis, IN | $1,528 | $61,120 | $29.38 | +3.5% |
| Columbus, OH | $1,525 | $61,000 | $29.33 | +2.9% |
| Cincinnati, OH | $1,522 | $60,880 | $29.27 | +2.8% |
| El Paso, TX | $1,521 | $60,840 | $29.25 | +3.5% |
| Detroit, MI | $1,514 | $60,560 | $29.12 | +4.2% |
| Spokane, WA | $1,512 | $60,480 | $29.08 | +3.6% |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,490 | $59,600 | $28.65 | +1.3% |
| Tucson, AZ | $1,488 | $59,520 | $28.62 | +1.6% |
| Harrisburg, PA | $1,481 | $59,240 | $28.48 | +2.8% |
| Jackson, MS | $1,470 | $58,800 | $28.27 | +3.9% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $1,467 | $58,680 | $28.21 | +3.5% |
| Augusta, GA | $1,464 | $58,560 | $28.15 | +3.0% |
| Buffalo, NY | $1,451 | $58,040 | $27.90 | +3.9% |
| Cleveland, OH | $1,440 | $57,600 | $27.69 | +4.5% |
| St. Louis, MO | $1,427 | $57,080 | $27.44 | +4.1% |
| San Antonio, TX | $1,415 | $56,600 | $27.21 | -0.8% |
| Greensboro, NC | $1,406 | $56,240 | $27.04 | +2.5% |
| Birmingham, AL | $1,404 | $56,160 | $27.00 | +2.9% |
| Omaha, NE | $1,398 | $55,920 | $26.88 | +1.7% |
| Memphis, TN | $1,393 | $55,720 | $26.79 | +1.1% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $1,384 | $55,360 | $26.62 | +2.4% |
| Tulsa, OK | $1,375 | $55,000 | $26.44 | +3.0% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $1,366 | $54,640 | $26.27 | +2.5% |
| Scranton, PA | $1,362 | $54,480 | $26.19 | +4.0% |
| Louisville, KY | $1,339 | $53,560 | $25.75 | +2.1% |
| Dayton, OH | $1,320 | $52,800 | $25.38 | +2.7% |
| Akron, OH | $1,306 | $52,240 | $25.12 | +3.8% |
| Des Moines, IA | $1,280 | $51,200 | $24.62 | +2.2% |
| Toledo, OH | $1,264 | $50,560 | $24.31 | +5.8% |
| Little Rock, AR | $1,234 | $49,360 | $23.73 | +2.1% |
| Wichita, KS | $1,206 | $48,240 | $23.19 | +4.3% |
| McAllen, TX | $1,119 | $44,760 | $21.52 | +0.9% |
Download the table as CSV (free to reuse with credit to Bill Organizer and Zillow).
Most and least expensive
Highest salary needed:
- San Jose, CA: $152,480 a year for $3,812 rent
- New York, NY: $141,840 a year for $3,546 rent
- San Francisco, CA: $137,800 a year for $3,445 rent
- Urban Honolulu, HI: $120,600 a year for $3,015 rent
- Boston, MA: $119,480 a year for $2,987 rent
Lowest salary needed:
- McAllen, TX: $44,760 a year for $1,119 rent
- Wichita, KS: $48,240 a year for $1,206 rent
- Little Rock, AR: $49,360 a year for $1,234 rent
- Toledo, OH: $50,560 a year for $1,264 rent
- Des Moines, IA: $51,200 a year for $1,280 rent
Where rent rose fastest
Typical US rent rose +2.7% from September 2025 to September 2026. The biggest one-year increases among the 100 largest metros: San Francisco, CA (+11.8%), San Jose, CA (+8.3%), Boise City, ID (+7.6%), Virginia Beach, VA (+7.1%), Toledo, OH (+5.8%). The smallest: North Port, FL (+0.0%), Cape Coral, FL (-0.1%), San Antonio, TX (-0.8%).
What the 30% rule leaves out
- Gross, not take-home. 30% of gross pay is closer to 38–42% of take-home. If money is tight, test the rent against what lands in your account with the paycheck budget calculator.
- Debts. A car payment or student loan comes out of the same income. The rent affordability calculator subtracts monthly debt the way lenders do (36% of income minus debts).
- Utilities. Typical rent here excludes most utilities; see average utility bills by state.
- Typical, not cheapest. ZORI measures the middle of the market for asking rents. Older or smaller units often rent for less.
Cite or embed this data
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Bill Organizer, "Salary Needed to Afford Rent in the 100 Largest US Metros" (rent: Zillow Observed Rent Index, September 2026), https://billorganizingapp.com/salary-needed-to-afford-rent/
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Sources and method
- Rent: Zillow Research, Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed, metro level, September 2026 and September 2025. Metros are Zillow's 100 largest by size rank that report a current value.
- The 30% line: HUD counts households whose housing costs are more than 30% of income as cost-burdened (its CHAS data use the same threshold).
- Salary needed = rent × 12 ÷ 0.30 (= rent × 40). Hourly = salary ÷ 2,080 (40 hours × 52 weeks). Landlord rule = 3 × rent a month. Rounded for display; the CSV has the same numbers.
- We update the page when Zillow publishes a new quarter. Corrections: see the about page.