Can A Bus Driver Afford Rent in Bel Air, MD?

Rent-burdened — rent takes 42.9% of gross income.

Bel Air rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Maryland state estimate).

Bel Air median rent
$1,999/mo
Bus Driver salary (Maryland)
$55,966/yr
Rent as % of income
42.9%
Gross monthly income works out to about $4,664, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,399/mo in rent. Bel Air's median rent of $1,999 exceeds that threshold by $600/mo, putting a bus driver salary into the rent-burdened range here. A bus driver works roughly 74.3 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a bus driver salary

Transit bus driver pay sits near the US median household income, with municipal and unionized routes often paying more. At the national-average bus driver salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,296 a month in rent.

Cheaper rent nearby

These Maryland cities have lower median rent than Bel Air, which improves the affordability math on a bus driver salary:

Oxon Hill, MD
$1,998/mo (42.8% of income)
Silver Spring, MD
$1,997/mo (42.8% of income)
Lutherville Timonium, MD
$1,995/mo (42.8% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Bel Air

View full rent data for Bel Air, MD

Frequently asked questions

Can a bus driver afford rent in Bel Air, MD?

Median rent in Bel Air is $1,999 a month. A typical bus driver in Maryland earns about $55,966 a year, which makes that rent 42.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is no — rent exceeds the 30% threshold.

How much rent can a bus driver afford in Bel Air?

Using the 30% rule, a bus driver salary in Maryland (~$55,966/yr) supports up to $1,399 a month in rent. Bel Air's current median rent is $1,999/mo, which is $600/mo over the affordability threshold.

How many hours does a bus driver work to cover rent in Bel Air?

At an hourly equivalent of about $27 an hour, a bus driver in Maryland works roughly 74.3 hours a month to cover Bel Air's median rent of $1,999.

Where is rent cheaper than Bel Air for a bus driver?

Nearby Maryland cities with lower median rent include Oxon Hill ($1,998/mo), Silver Spring ($1,997/mo), Lutherville Timonium ($1,995/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a bus driver salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Maryland state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Bel Air, MD. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.