Affordability
35 articles
How much do you need to earn to afford rent in New York?
We ran the standard affordability rule against nine New York neighborhoods. The cheapest one requires nearly double what…
In New York, crossing into a pricier ZIP code costs $2,396 a month. In Atlanta it costs $695.
Every metro has cheap and expensive corners, but the distance between them varies enormously. In New York the gap is $2,…
Only two US cities over 60,000 people have a median rent under $1,200
A $1,200 budget used to buy a decent apartment almost anywhere. We checked every city in our data, and the answer depend…
Driving farther out no longer makes rent cheaper, suburbs are getting expensive
The old advice was to drive until you qualify. We ran the numbers on 400 ZIP codes across six metros, and in most of the…
She wanted to leave an expensive city. Then she found the “cheap” ones aren’t cheap anymore
A woman who left Seattle for Michigan says she was shocked that cheap places aren't cheap. Our data says she's right, an…
The average Social Security check cannot cover a studio in any large US city
The average retired worker collects about $2,084 a month. Run that through the standard affordability rule and it buys $…
How much does utilities and renters insurance add to rent?
Utilities and insurance are close to a fixed monthly cost, so they add a far bigger share to a $1,262 rent than a $4,539…
Getting a loan to pay rent: preference or desperation?
Pay-later lenders now finance rent, and the industry says it's meeting demand. Half of borrowers say they couldn't make …
Pittsburgh is still one of the affordable big cities, but rent is climbing fast
Pittsburgh rent of $1,593 still looks like a bargain next to the coasts. The catch is the trajectory: it rose 7.1% in a …
For 10 years, this Washington DC house rented rooms for $700. Now it’s gone
For a decade, nuns in Northeast D.C. rented rooms to young women for $500 a month. The house closed last month, and the …
How much you need to earn per hour to afford a one-bedroom in 19 big cities
Affording a one-bedroom on a single income takes anywhere from $18.98 an hour in Detroit to $55.92 in San Jose. Every fi…
Boomers and Gen Z didn't enter the same rental market. Half of renters are now cost-burdened.
The generational complaint about rent holds up, though not for the reason most people give. The typical renter still pay…
Families with kids are the most rent-burdened Americans
Half of American renters spend more than 30% of income on rent, but families with kids have it worst at 54%. Our data sh…
Houston rent looks cheap until you compare it with local incomes
Affording the typical Houston apartment takes about $62,680 a year. The median Houston household earns $64,813, which cl…
Why more Americans in their 30s are moving back home with their parents
Renting the typical US apartment on your own now takes an income of $84,321 a year, up from $63,258 in 2020. That $21,00…
Co-living is growing in Charlotte as renters look for cheaper housing
Co-living rooms in Charlotte start around $189 a week, or $819 a month with utilities included. A typical Charlotte stud…
How Much Rent Can You Afford? The 30% Rule and the Salary Math
A $60,000 salary affords about $1,500 in rent and $100,000 affords $2,500. Here is the full salary-to-rent ladder, plus …
Income rose faster than Rent in 14 large US cities
Household income grew faster than rent in 14 large US cities in the latest year both datasets cover. The list is dominat…
Rent got easier to afford in Oakland and Seattle, but worse in cheaper US cities
Of 155 large US cities, 108 saw rent take a bigger bite of local income since 2020. The ones that improved are mostly ex…
City vs. Suburbs: Where Renters Actually Pay Less
Moving one town over saves about $2,003 a month near New York but only $118 near Denver. Here is where the suburb discou…
Cleveland was Affordable until Outsiders with Bigger Budgets Moved In. Locals are Being Priced Out.
Cleveland rent rose 50.8% since January 2020 against a national 33.3%, while local income grew 32%. The cheapest Rust Be…
What $2,000 a Month Rents Across America: A Studio in San Francisco or a 3-Bedroom in Wichita
The same $2,000 budget does not cover a studio in San Francisco yet rents a three-bedroom house in Wichita. Here is what…
A New York Studio Now Takes a $125,000 Salary, Putting a Burden on New College Grads
New York City asking rents reached a seven-year high this spring. At a median studio rent of $3,116, affording one alone…
Rent Is Falling, but It Still Costs Far More Than Before the Pandemic
Rent is falling in many cities, but zoom out and the typical US rent is still about 36% above its January 2020 level. Ev…
What Is a Good Rent-to-Income Ratio?
The 30 percent rule is the standard rent benchmark, but it is measured against gross income and many renters in expensiv…
Nearly 1 in 5 Residents Would Consider Leaving Texas Over Housing Costs
A Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers survey found nearly one in five Texans would consider leaving the st…
Texas Is a Renter's Market Right Now, With Rent Bargains in Almost Every Major City
RentDataNow's Rent Reality Score shows most big Texas cities renting below their own long-term trend, with Austin, Garla…
San Francisco's AI Boom Pushed 2-Bedroom Rents to a Record $4,257, Pricing Out Longtime Locals
An AI hiring surge and tight housing stock have pushed San Francisco's average 2-bedroom rent to $4,257, the highest in …
New York Renters Spend Half Their Income on Rent. These States Spend the Least.
The cheapest rent is not the most affordable rent. Ranked by the share of income that goes to rent, the most affordable …
It Takes 5 Minimum Wage Workers to Afford a One-Bedroom in Atlanta
A new Best Interest Financial and Clever Real Estate study finds Atlanta has the widest rent-to-wage gap in the country,…
Rising Rents Are Pushing Young Men Home, Out of Work, and Away From Marriage, a Study Finds
A new study draws a direct line from decades of rising rents to more noncollege-educated men living with their parents, …
Half of Young Adults Still Live With Their Parents. The Rent Math Shows Why.
Nearly half of American adults under 30 now live with a parent, and moving home has shed its stigma. Our data on what it…
What Salary Do You Need to Afford Rent in the Biggest US Cities?
Using June 2026 ZORI rents and the 30% rule, here is the salary you need to afford the median rent in 21 of the largest …
Can a Nurse Afford Rent in America's Biggest Cities?
Registered nurses earn well above the median, yet in five metros their rent still crosses the federal 30 percent burden …
Can a Police Officer Afford Rent in the City They Serve? (2026)
A police officer in San Francisco spends 57.7% of pay on rent. We ran the rent-burden math for 21 major cities and found…