How much rent can I afford making $40 an hour?
Up to $2,080 a month. Full time, $40 an hour is $83,200 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 $40 an hour
The 12 priciest metros that still fit.2
| Metro | 2-bedroom |
|---|---|
| New York City, NY | $1,997 |
| Sarasota, FL | $1,975 |
| Riverside, CA | $1,940 |
| Sacramento, CA | $1,922 |
| Poughkeepsie, NY | $1,916 |
| New Haven, CT | $1,869 |
| Tampa, FL | $1,861 |
| Orlando, FL | $1,855 |
| Portland, OR | $1,850 |
| Fort Myers, FL | $1,849 |
| Austin, TX | $1,836 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,825 |
Where a 1-bedroom fits on $40 an hour
The 12 priciest metros that still fit.2
| Metro | 1-bedroom |
|---|---|
| Oxnard, CA | $2,039 |
| Washington, DC | $1,970 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $1,966 |
| Boston, MA | $1,902 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $1,879 |
| Seattle, WA | $1,871 |
| Miami, FL | $1,818 |
| Charleston, SC | $1,788 |
| New York City, NY | $1,774 |
| Denver, CO | $1,714 |
| Sarasota, FL | $1,706 |
| Fort Myers, FL | $1,704 |
Run your own numbers
$40 an hour: questions people ask
How much rent can I afford making $40 an hour?
Full time, $40 an hour is $83,200 a year before tax. At 30% of that, rent should stay at or under $2,080 a month.
Can I afford a 1-bedroom on $40 an hour?
In 115 of the 118 metros we track, the median 1-bedroom rent is at or under $2,080. 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