There is fresh movement around The Average Salary Needed to Rent in Each State, Ranked, and the story is worth a closer look.
We pulled together what is known so far and what it could mean for the people following it.
Renting can be a great alternative if you don't have enough money for a down payment saved yet for a house or you want some flexibility, being able to move on short notice. But renting isn't always cheap depending on where you live.
In order to afford a two-bedroom rental home in the U.S., renters have to make an average of $33.63 to afford it, according to the data the National Low Income Housing Coalition. A one-bedroom rental home equals an average of $28.17 in hourly wages for a renter to afford. But compare that to the most common jobs in the country, and you'll find rent isn't easy to afford—18 of the 25 most common jobs pay less than what you would need to afford a two-bedroom rental home.
It can be even harder when you live in a state that requires more than that just to find a home. See if your state is one of the worst—or best—states to live in when it comes to how much you need to make on average to pay rent. Visual Capitalist analyzed the numbers and created a ranking, defining affordability as spending no more than 30% of the average salary on rent.
First-place California and second-place Hawaii are the only two states on the list that require a six-figure salary just to afford a two-bedroom rental home. Hawaii has the highest cost of living of any state, which can particularly affect housing costs.
In fact, the top five states (including the District of Columbia) that have the highest income needed for a two-bedroom rental home are also the top five states when it comes to cost of living in the United States, although in slightly different order than this ranking.
Cities within these states can be major contributors to the extreme cost of rent. A Zillow survey from May 2026 found that six of the top 10 most expensive cities for renters were in California. San Jose led the way, with the most expensive typical rent at $3,625 per month as well as tying for the city with the least amount of listings under $1,000, with only 0.4% of the market falling into that category.
New York City had the second-most expensive rent with a typical monthly rental costing $3,503. Boston, San Diego, and Miami tied San Jose as the markets with the least number of rentals under $1,000 with only 0.4% of listings, according to the data Zillow.
The Midwest could be a good option if you're looking for an affordable place to pay rent, with South Dakota, North Dakota, and Iowa making the top five best markets for a two-bedroom rental home.
They're also the only five states where you can earn an hourly wage under $20 and still be able to afford a two-bedroom rental. In West Virginia, for example, you only need to make $18.94 to afford two bedrooms, making it the most affordable state by hourly wages. South Dakota was slightly higher at $18.96, with Arkansas coming in at $18.98.
In 2023, more than 22 million renters were spending more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities, which is the minimum percentage to be considered a cost-burdened renter. That's up by 2.2 million renters compared to four years earlier, according to the data research by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard.
Florida has the highest percentage of rental-burdened residents, with around 60% of renters spending at least 30% of their income on rent. California, Hawaii, and Nevada also have high burdens for renters, with at least 53% of renters in each of their states feeling the financial pressure.
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