How much rent can I afford?
Enter your pay. See the rent that keeps housing at 30% of income, and the cities where a 2-bedroom fits.1
By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.
Rent you can afford (30% rule)$1,500/mo
Tighter budget (25%)$1,250/mo
Stretch (35%)$1,750/mo
Where a 2-bedroom fits that budget
61 of 118 metros have a median 2-bedroom rent at or under $1,500 a month. A 1-bedroom fits in 91.
Rent you can afford by hourly wage
Rent affordability: questions people ask
How much rent can I afford?
A common rule is 30% of your gross monthly income. On $60,000 a year that is $1,500 a month; on $100,000 it is $2,500. If you carry other debt or want to save more, aim lower.
Is the 30% rule based on gross or take-home pay?
Gross pay, before taxes. HUD counts a household as cost-burdened when housing costs exceed 30% of income. On take-home pay, 30% gives a more conservative number.
How much do I need to make to afford a 2-bedroom?
At the US median 2-bedroom rent of $1,563 a month (Census ACS, 2025), about $62,520 a year keeps rent at 30% of income.
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Notes on the numbers
- 1The 30% rule: rent at or under 30% of gross (before-tax) income, a long-standing affordability benchmark used by HUD for housing cost burden. The 25% and 35% figures show a tighter and a looser budget. Hourly pay assumes 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year.
- 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