Can A Waiter or Waitress Afford Rent in Follansbee, WV?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29% of gross income.

Follansbee rent: January 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (West Virginia state estimate).

Follansbee median rent
$750/mo
Waiter or Waitress salary (West Virginia)
$31,051/yr
Rent as % of income
29%
Gross monthly income works out to about $2,588, and the 30% rule supports up to $776/mo in rent. Follansbee's median rent of $750 leaves roughly $26/mo of headroom under that threshold. A waiter or waitress works roughly 50.2 hours a month to cover that rent.

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 Follansbee

View full rent data for Follansbee, WV

Frequently asked questions

Can a waiter or waitress afford rent in Follansbee, WV?

Median rent in Follansbee is $750 a month. A typical waiter or waitress in West Virginia earns about $31,051 a year, which makes that rent 29% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a waiter or waitress afford in Follansbee?

Using the 30% rule, a waiter or waitress salary in West Virginia (~$31,051/yr) supports up to $776 a month in rent. Follansbee's current median rent is $750/mo, which leaves a $26/mo buffer.

How many hours does a waiter or waitress work to cover rent in Follansbee?

At an hourly equivalent of about $15 an hour, a waiter or waitress in West Virginia works roughly 50.2 hours a month to cover Follansbee's median rent of $750.

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