To take home four times the typical rent, a full-time job in California needs to pay from $23.25 an hour in Modoc County to $130.88 in Santa Cruz County, before taxes. The middle county is Fresno County at $42.49.
| County | Pay needed | Studio rent |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | $80.73/hr | $2,190/mo |
| Alpine County | $33.40/hr | $1,063/mo |
| Amador County | $44.80/hr | $1,345/mo |
| Butte County | $33.12/hr | $1,055/mo |
| Calaveras County | $34.53/hr | $1,095/mo |
| Colusa County | $36.54/hr | $1,145/mo |
| Contra Costa County | $81.38/hr | $2,205/mo |
| Del Norte County | $29.36/hr | $945/mo |
| El Dorado County | $57.98/hr | $1,660/mo |
| Fresno County | $42.49/hr | $1,290/mo |
| Glenn County | $30.55/hr | $980/mo |
| Humboldt County | $35.12/hr | $1,110/mo |
| Imperial County | $27.13/hr | $880/mo |
| Inyo County | $29.87/hr | $960/mo |
| Kern County | $39.20/hr | $1,210/mo |
| Kings County | $35.93/hr | $1,130/mo |
| Lake County | $36.34/hr | $1,140/mo |
| Lassen County | $27.47/hr | $890/mo |
| Los Angeles County | $85.06/hr | $2,290/mo |
| Madera County | $43.54/hr | $1,315/mo |
| Marin County | $88.52/hr | $2,370/mo |
| Mariposa County | $32.61/hr | $1,040/mo |
| Mendocino County | $39.20/hr | $1,210/mo |
| Merced County | $35.52/hr | $1,120/mo |
| Modoc County | $23.25/hr | $765/mo |
| Mono County | $47.10/hr | $1,400/mo |
| Monterey County | $72.07/hr | $1,990/mo |
| Napa County | $85.49/hr | $2,300/mo |
| Nevada County | $47.31/hr | $1,405/mo |
| Orange County | $100.59/hr | $2,660/mo |
| Placer County | $65.58/hr | $1,840/mo |
| Plumas County | $27.47/hr | $890/mo |
| Riverside County | $57.35/hr | $1,645/mo |
| Sacramento County | $62.79/hr | $1,775/mo |
| San Benito County | $88.31/hr | $2,365/mo |
| San Bernardino County | $52.54/hr | $1,530/mo |
| San Diego County | $80.73/hr | $2,190/mo |
| San Francisco County | $92.85/hr | $2,470/mo |
| San Joaquin County | $54.21/hr | $1,570/mo |
| San Luis Obispo County | $69.69/hr | $1,935/mo |
| San Mateo County | $102.16/hr | $2,700/mo |
| Santa Barbara County | $103.33/hr | $2,730/mo |
| Santa Clara County | $96.48/hr | $2,555/mo |
| Santa Cruz County | $130.88/hr | $3,390/mo |
| Shasta County | $38.38/hr | $1,190/mo |
| Sierra County | $33.64/hr | $1,070/mo |
| Siskiyou County | $27.82/hr | $900/mo |
| Solano County | $61.32/hr | $1,740/mo |
| Sonoma County | $70.99/hr | $1,965/mo |
| Stanislaus County | $41.04/hr | $1,255/mo |
| Sutter County | $40.64/hr | $1,245/mo |
| Tehama County | $29.53/hr | $950/mo |
| Trinity County | $24.75/hr | $810/mo |
| Tulare County | $34.73/hr | $1,100/mo |
| Tuolumne County | $40.02/hr | $1,230/mo |
| Ventura County | $71.21/hr | $1,970/mo |
| Yolo County | $53.58/hr | $1,555/mo |
| Yuba County | $34.34/hr | $1,090/mo |
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?