How much rent can I afford making $25 an hour?
Up to $1,300 a month. Full time, $25 an hour is $52,000 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 $25 an hour
The 12 priciest metros that still fit.2
| Metro | 2-bedroom |
|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | $1,279 |
| Memphis area, TN/AR | $1,278 |
| Louisville, KY | $1,271 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $1,232 |
| St. Louis, MO | $1,223 |
| Syracuse, NY | $1,221 |
| Greensboro, NC | $1,218 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $1,216 |
| Cleveland, OH | $1,207 |
| Buffalo, NY | $1,205 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $1,199 |
| Birmingham, AL | $1,194 |
Where a 1-bedroom fits on $25 an hour
The 12 priciest metros that still fit.2
| Metro | 1-bedroom |
|---|---|
| Stockton, CA | $1,299 |
| Worcester, MA | $1,294 |
| Ogden, UT | $1,282 |
| Fresno, CA | $1,269 |
| Allentown, PA | $1,265 |
| Lakeland, FL | $1,251 |
| Columbus, OH | $1,242 |
| Albany, NY | $1,240 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $1,219 |
| Kansas City, MO | $1,200 |
| San Antonio, TX | $1,198 |
| New Orleans, LA | $1,194 |
Run your own numbers
$25 an hour: questions people ask
How much rent can I afford making $25 an hour?
Full time, $25 an hour is $52,000 a year before tax. At 30% of that, rent should stay at or under $1,300 a month.
Can I afford a 1-bedroom on $25 an hour?
In 65 of the 118 metros we track, the median 1-bedroom rent is at or under $1,300. 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