What a full-time job has to pay, before taxes, to take home four times the typical rent in each of the 3,145 counties in the United States. Pick a state to see every county.
| State | Middle county | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $23.73/hr | $21.11 – $39.01 |
| Alaska | $32.58/hr | $21.69 – $55.39 |
| Arizona | $30.39/hr | $21.72 – $48.00 |
| Arkansas | $20.37/hr | $18.90 – $29.82 |
| California | $42.49/hr | $23.25 – $130.88 |
| Colorado | $31.76/hr | $22.83 – $68.10 |
| Connecticut | $44.43/hr | $35.43 – $65.15 |
| Delaware | $42.35/hr | $38.99 – $46.89 |
| District of Columbia | $74.56/hr | $74.56 – $74.56 |
| Florida | $34.74/hr | $22.54 – $66.03 |
| Georgia | $26.51/hr | $22.19 – $63.13 |
| Hawaii | $59.50/hr | $52.73 – $72.35 |
| Idaho | $27.92/hr | $23.26 – $39.76 |
| Illinois | $22.27/hr | $19.88 – $66.73 |
| Indiana | $25.00/hr | $21.32 – $47.86 |
| Iowa | $21.59/hr | $19.63 – $33.02 |
| Kansas | $22.50/hr | $20.33 – $49.38 |
| Kentucky | $21.54/hr | $19.10 – $42.77 |
| Louisiana | $22.51/hr | $18.63 – $36.30 |
| Maine | $35.70/hr | $27.35 – $55.23 |
| Maryland | $42.72/hr | $27.31 – $79.77 |
| Massachusetts | $62.00/hr | $41.20 – $96.86 |
| Michigan | $24.94/hr | $21.66 – $45.98 |
| Minnesota | $24.40/hr | $21.71 – $47.31 |
| Mississippi | $23.52/hr | $19.62 – $36.58 |
| Missouri | $22.62/hr | $19.98 – $42.47 |
| Montana | $32.02/hr | $24.25 – $47.05 |
| Nebraska | $22.80/hr | $21.98 – $41.33 |
| Nevada | $30.29/hr | $22.95 – $43.21 |
| New Hampshire | $38.59/hr | $29.39 – $54.41 |
| New Jersey | $59.02/hr | $41.32 – $89.33 |
| New Mexico | $24.47/hr | $21.15 – $41.77 |
| New York | $30.96/hr | $21.90 – $132.88 |
| North Carolina | $28.29/hr | $22.07 – $56.90 |
| North Dakota | $24.78/hr | $20.68 – $45.30 |
| Ohio | $24.33/hr | $20.79 – $45.19 |
| Oklahoma | $21.86/hr | $19.22 – $31.09 |
| Oregon | $33.75/hr | $22.63 – $57.00 |
| Pennsylvania | $26.05/hr | $21.84 – $51.74 |
| Rhode Island | $51.27/hr | $47.83 – $64.26 |
| South Carolina | $25.31/hr | $18.87 – $56.45 |
| South Dakota | $22.23/hr | $20.55 – $29.39 |
| Tennessee | $23.79/hr | $20.21 – $65.30 |
| Texas | $25.03/hr | $20.55 – $60.27 |
| Utah | $27.80/hr | $23.07 – $62.44 |
| Vermont | $38.64/hr | $29.76 – $52.79 |
| Virginia | $32.86/hr | $19.93 – $94.58 |
| Washington | $31.49/hr | $21.99 – $72.25 |
| West Virginia | $22.03/hr | $19.76 – $33.36 |
| Wisconsin | $24.73/hr | $21.75 – $36.47 |
| Wyoming | $23.48/hr | $21.77 – $38.95 |
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent?