How much rent can I afford making $30 an hour?
Up to $1,560 a month. Full time, $30 an hour is $62,400 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 $30 an hour
The 12 priciest metros that still fit.2
| Metro | 2-bedroom |
|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | $1,560 |
| Ogden, UT | $1,550 |
| Albany, NY | $1,548 |
| Columbus, OH | $1,528 |
| Asheville, NC | $1,492 |
| San Antonio, TX | $1,460 |
| Knoxville, TN | $1,452 |
| Provo, UT | $1,444 |
| Lakeland, FL | $1,437 |
| Rochester, NY | $1,428 |
| Spokane, WA | $1,424 |
| Kansas City, MO | $1,418 |
Where a 1-bedroom fits on $30 an hour
The 12 priciest metros that still fit.2
| Metro | 1-bedroom |
|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $1,511 |
| Melbourne, FL | $1,505 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | $1,490 |
| Charlotte, NC | $1,484 |
| Wilmington, NC | $1,484 |
| Richmond, VA | $1,480 |
| Raleigh, NC | $1,475 |
| Nashville, TN | $1,474 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $1,467 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $1,458 |
| New Haven, CT | $1,439 |
| Chicago, IL | $1,438 |
Run your own numbers
$30 an hour: questions people ask
How much rent can I afford making $30 an hour?
Full time, $30 an hour is $62,400 a year before tax. At 30% of that, rent should stay at or under $1,560 a month.
Can I afford a 1-bedroom on $30 an hour?
In 93 of the 118 metros we track, the median 1-bedroom rent is at or under $1,560. 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