Rent Affordability for Truck Drivers in the US
As of May 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024. Rent: ZORI monthly.
Truck driver pay covers comfortable rent in most lower- and mid-cost US metros and stretches thin in the highest-cost ones. Because many drivers can base anywhere along their route, the home-city rent decision has an outsized effect on take-home. At the national-average driver salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,418 a month in rent. The per-city pages show which markets keep rent within that range and which push it out of reach.
Where rent is most affordable: states with the highest truck driver pay
| State | Avg salary | Affordable rent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $70,888/yr | $1,772/mo | View cities › |
| California | $66,918/yr | $1,673/mo | View cities › |
| Massachusetts | $65,784/yr | $1,645/mo | View cities › |
| New York | $64,649/yr | $1,616/mo | View cities › |
| Alaska | $63,515/yr | $1,588/mo | View cities › |
| New Jersey | $63,515/yr | $1,588/mo | View cities › |
| Washington | $63,515/yr | $1,588/mo | View cities › |
| Connecticut | $62,381/yr | $1,560/mo | View cities › |
| Hawaii | $61,247/yr | $1,531/mo | View cities › |
| Maryland | $61,247/yr | $1,531/mo | View cities › |
Where rent stretches the salary furthest: states with the lowest truck driver pay
| State | Avg salary | Affordable rent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $45,935/yr | $1,148/mo | View cities › |
| Arkansas | $47,069/yr | $1,177/mo | View cities › |
| West Virginia | $48,204/yr | $1,205/mo | View cities › |
| Alabama | $48,771/yr | $1,219/mo | View cities › |
| Louisiana | $49,338/yr | $1,233/mo | View cities › |
| South Dakota | $49,905/yr | $1,248/mo | View cities › |
| South Carolina | $49,905/yr | $1,248/mo | View cities › |
| Oklahoma | $49,905/yr | $1,248/mo | View cities › |
| Montana | $49,905/yr | $1,248/mo | View cities › |
| Kentucky | $49,905/yr | $1,248/mo | View cities › |
All states
Frequently asked questions
Where is rent most affordable for truck drivers?
Smaller and mid-size cities in lower-cost states (much of the South, Midwest, and Mountain West) keep rent well under the 30% threshold on a driver salary. High-cost coastal metros are typically rent-burdened for drivers without a second household income.
What rent can a truck driver afford?
At the BLS national mean of $56,710, the 30% rule supports about $1,418 a month in rent. Owner-operator and long-haul OTR income can be materially higher.