By Andrew Aurand, Esther Colón-Bermúdez, and Nada Hussein, NLIHC
NLIHC released its annual report, Out of Reach, on July 17. The report describes the Housing Wage, the hourly wage full-time workers must earn to afford a modest rental home without spending more than 30% of their income. The national average Housing Wage in 2025 is $33.63 per hour for a modest two-bedroom rental home and $28.17 per hour for a modest one-bedroom rental home.
The report shows that more than half of wage earners in the U.S. earn less than the one-bedroom Housing Wage. The median wages of 17 of the country’s 25 most common occupations—such as food service workers, retail workers, home health and personal care aides, and administrative assistants—are less than what full-time workers need to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment.
The report integrates voices from renters across the country. Their stories reveal the difficult choices renters must make, such as choosing between paying for their housing or for other necessities and underscores then critical importance of housing assistance.
Find data for states, metropolitan areas, counties, and zip codes at https://nlihc.org/oor.