Rent Affordability for Nursing Assistants in the US
As of May 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024. Rent: ZORI monthly.
National avg salary
$39,610/yr
Gross monthly
$3,301
Affordable rent (30% rule)
$990/mo
Nursing assistant (CNA) pay falls below the rent threshold for a one-bedroom in nearly every US metro, which is the central tension behind the widely studied direct-care workforce affordability gap. At the national-average CNA salary, the 30% rule supports about $990 a month in rent — below median rent in most cities. The per-city pages quantify how far below.
Where rent is most affordable: states with the highest nursing assistant pay
| State | Avg salary | Affordable rent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $49,513/yr | $1,238/mo | View cities › |
| California | $46,740/yr | $1,169/mo | View cities › |
| Massachusetts | $45,948/yr | $1,149/mo | View cities › |
| New York | $45,155/yr | $1,129/mo | View cities › |
| Alaska | $44,363/yr | $1,109/mo | View cities › |
| New Jersey | $44,363/yr | $1,109/mo | View cities › |
| Washington | $44,363/yr | $1,109/mo | View cities › |
| Connecticut | $43,571/yr | $1,089/mo | View cities › |
| Hawaii | $42,779/yr | $1,069/mo | View cities › |
| Maryland | $42,779/yr | $1,069/mo | View cities › |
Where rent stretches the salary furthest: states with the lowest nursing assistant pay
| State | Avg salary | Affordable rent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $32,084/yr | $802/mo | View cities › |
| Arkansas | $32,876/yr | $822/mo | View cities › |
| West Virginia | $33,669/yr | $842/mo | View cities › |
| Alabama | $34,065/yr | $852/mo | View cities › |
| Louisiana | $34,461/yr | $862/mo | View cities › |
| South Dakota | $34,857/yr | $871/mo | View cities › |
| South Carolina | $34,857/yr | $871/mo | View cities › |
| Oklahoma | $34,857/yr | $871/mo | View cities › |
| Montana | $34,857/yr | $871/mo | View cities › |
| Kentucky | $34,857/yr | $871/mo | View cities › |
All states
District of ColumbiaCaliforniaMassachusettsNew YorkAlaskaNew JerseyWashingtonConnecticutHawaiiMarylandColoradoMinnesotaOregonRhode IslandNew HampshireDelawareIllinoisVirginiaPennsylvaniaTexasArizonaNevadaNorth DakotaVermontMichiganUtahGeorgiaWisconsinNorth CarolinaOhioWyomingFloridaMaineNebraskaIndianaIowaMissouriTennesseeKansasNew MexicoIdahoKentuckyMontanaOklahomaSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaLouisianaAlabamaWest VirginiaArkansasMississippi
Frequently asked questions
Can a CNA afford rent alone?
In most US cities, CNA pay alone falls below the income needed to afford a one-bedroom under the 30% rule. This is a widely studied driver of multi-earner CNA households.
What rent can a nursing assistant afford?
At the BLS national mean of $39,610, the 30% rule supports about $990 a month in rent.