Out of Reach

The High Cost of Housing

How Much Do You Need to Earn to Afford a Modest Apartment in Your State?

Hourly wage required to afford a two-bedroom rental home by state.
Below $22.50
$22.50 - $32.50
Above $32.50
Map of states colored by hourly wage required to afford a two bedroom rental home by state. Most require more than $15/hour.HawaiiHIAlaskaAKFloridaFLNew HampshireNHMichiganMIVermontVTMaineMERhode IslandRINew YorkNYPennsylvaniaPANew JerseyNJDelawareDEMarylandMDCommonwealth of VirginiaVACommonwealth of VirginiaWVOhioOHIndianaINIllinoisILConnecticutCTWisconsinWINorth CarolinaNCWashington, D.C.DCCommonwealth of MassachusettsMATennesseeTNArkansasARMissouriMOGeorgiaGASouth CarolinaSCCommonwealth of KentuckyKYAlabamaALLouisianaLAMississippiMSIowaIAMinnesotaMNOklahomaOKTexasTXNew MexicoNMKansasKSNebraskaNESouth DakotaSDNorth DakotaNDWyomingWYMontanaMTColoradoCOIdahoIDUtahUTArizonaAZNevadaNVOregonORWashingtonWACaliforniaCAPuerto RicoPRU.S. Virgin IslandsGuamNorthern Mariana IslandsAmerican Samoa

Arizona

17th

Highest Housing Wage

$32.87/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

87/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Louisiana

40th

Highest Housing Wage

$21.88/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

121/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

North Dakota

46th

Highest Housing Wage

$20.92/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

115/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Wyoming

49th

Highest Housing Wage

$20.76/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

115/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Arkansas

48th

Highest Housing Wage

$20.82/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

76/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Maine

19th

Highest Housing Wage

$32.32/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

86/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Ohio

37th

Highest Housing Wage

$23.82/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

87/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Puerto Rico

52nd

Highest Housing Wage

$11.57/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

44/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

California

1st

Highest Housing Wage

$52.79/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

125/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Maryland

11th

Highest Housing Wage

$37.60/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

100/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Oklahoma

41st

Highest Housing Wage

$21.85/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

121/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Colorado

12th

Highest Housing Wage

$36.44/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

96/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Massachusetts

3rd

Highest Housing Wage

$48.59/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

130/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Oregon

14th

Highest Housing Wage

$33.43/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

86/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Connecticut

9th

Highest Housing Wage

$38.98/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

92/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Michigan

33rd

Highest Housing Wage

$25.53/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

74/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Pennsylvania

28th

Highest Housing Wage

$28.87/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

159/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Delaware

20th

Highest Housing Wage

$32.20/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

86/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Minnesota

27th

Highest Housing Wage

$28.92/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

101/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Rhode Island

13th

Highest Housing Wage

$33.95/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

85/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

District of Columbia

6th

Highest Housing Wage

$43.19/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

94/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Mississippi

50th

Highest Housing Wage

$20.01/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

110/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

South Carolina

32nd

Highest Housing Wage

$25.99/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

143/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Florida

10th

Highest Housing Wage

$37.93/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

108/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Missouri

39th

Highest Housing Wage

$22.19/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

59/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

South Dakota

45th

Highest Housing Wage

$21.03/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

71/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Georgia

26th

Highest Housing Wage

$29.84/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

165/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Montana

24th

Highest Housing Wage

$29.97/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

110/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Tennessee

31st

Highest Housing Wage

$26.21/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

145/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Hawaii

2nd

Highest Housing Wage

$49.38/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

123/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Nebraska

38th

Highest Housing Wage

$23.08/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

62/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Texas

25th

Highest Housing Wage

$29.93/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

165/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Idaho

29th

Highest Housing Wage

$27.12/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

150/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Nevada

16th

Highest Housing Wage

$33.33/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

111/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Utah

22nd

Highest Housing Wage

$30.42/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

168/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Illinois

23rd

Highest Housing Wage

$30.36/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

81/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

New Hampshire

8th

Highest Housing Wage

$39.24/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

216/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Vermont

18th

Highest Housing Wage

$32.38/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

90/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Indiana

36th

Highest Housing Wage

$24.13/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

133/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

New Jersey

5th

Highest Housing Wage

$43.89/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

110/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Virginia

15th

Highest Housing Wage

$33.37/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

105/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Iowa

44th

Highest Housing Wage

$21.39/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

118/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

New Mexico

34th

Highest Housing Wage

$25.15/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

84/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Alabama

47th

Highest Housing Wage

$20.91/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

115/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Kansas

42nd

Highest Housing Wage

$21.70/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

120/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

New York

4th

Highest Housing Wage

$48.46/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

121/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

West Virginia

51st

Highest Housing Wage

$19.23/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

88/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Alaska

21st

Highest Housing Wage

$30.59/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

87/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Kentucky

43rd

Highest Housing Wage

$21.64/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

119/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

North Carolina

30th

Highest Housing Wage

$27.11/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

150/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

Wisconsin

35th

Highest Housing Wage

$24.76/hr

Required to afford a 2 bedroom rental home

137/wk

Hours of work needed at the minimum wage (to afford 2 bedroom rental home)

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