Can A Waiter or Waitress Afford Rent in Shawano, WI?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.3% of gross income.
Shawano rent: January 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Wisconsin state estimate).
About rent and a waiter or waitress salary
Declared server pay (base plus reported tips) sits below the rent threshold needed for a one-bedroom apartment in most US cities, which is why the server workforce tends to live in shared housing. Actual tip income varies widely and can push real take-home well above the BLS figure, particularly in fine-dining and high-volume restaurants. At the national-average declared server salary, the 30% rule supports about $913 a month in rent. The per-city pages show which markets keep rent within that range.
Compare with full rent data for Shawano
View full rent data for Shawano, WI →Frequently asked questions
Can a waiter or waitress afford rent in Shawano, WI?
Median rent in Shawano is $789 a month. A typical waiter or waitress in Wisconsin earns about $34,704 a year, which makes that rent 27.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a waiter or waitress afford in Shawano?
Using the 30% rule, a waiter or waitress salary in Wisconsin (~$34,704/yr) supports up to $868 a month in rent. Shawano's current median rent is $789/mo, which leaves a $79/mo buffer.
How many hours does a waiter or waitress work to cover rent in Shawano?
At an hourly equivalent of about $17 an hour, a waiter or waitress in Wisconsin works roughly 47.3 hours a month to cover Shawano's median rent of $789.