How much rent can I afford making $20 an hour?
Up to $1,040 a month. Full time, $20 an hour is $41,600 a year, and the 30% rule keeps rent at that line.1
By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.
Where a 2-bedroom fits on $20 an hour
The 7 priciest metros that still fit.2
| Metro | 2-bedroom |
|---|---|
| McAllen, TX | $1,030 |
| Texarkana, TX/AR | $1,006 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $991 |
| Topeka, KS | $983 |
| Muncie, IN | $919 |
| Terre Haute, IN | $901 |
| Paducah, KY | $886 |
Where a 1-bedroom fits on $20 an hour
The 12 priciest metros that still fit.2
| Metro | 1-bedroom |
|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH | $1,032 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $1,028 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $994 |
| St. Louis, MO | $989 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $988 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $984 |
| El Paso, TX | $969 |
| Syracuse, NY | $967 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $966 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $965 |
| Louisville, KY | $962 |
| Buffalo, NY | $957 |
Run your own numbers
$20 an hour: questions people ask
How much rent can I afford making $20 an hour?
Full time, $20 an hour is $41,600 a year before tax. At 30% of that, rent should stay at or under $1,040 a month.
Can I afford a 1-bedroom on $20 an hour?
In 29 of the 118 metros we track, the median 1-bedroom rent is at or under $1,040. The US median 1-bedroom is $1,362 (Census ACS, 2025).
What hourly wage do I need for the US median 2-bedroom?
About $30.06 an hour keeps the US median 2-bedroom rent of $1,563 at 30% of full-time pay.
Other wages
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Notes on the numbers
- 1The 30% rule: rent at or under 30% of gross income, HUD's long-standing cost burden line. Full time is 40 hours a week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours). Our arithmetic.
- 2Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B25031, median gross rent by number of bedrooms (rent plus utilities the renter pays), 2025. Covers all renters, so new leases often cost more. Census table