Most of Berkeley is in Alameda County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $80.73 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 11 ZIP codes in Berkeley with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,930 to $2,670 a month. At the middle rent, $2,090, a full-time job would need to pay $76.40 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94701 | Alameda County | $2,090/mo | $76.40/hr |
| 94702 | Alameda County | $1,930/mo | $69.47/hr |
| 94703 | Alameda County | $2,000/mo | $72.50/hr |
| 94704 | Alameda County | $1,950/mo | $70.34/hr |
| 94705 | Alameda County | $2,110/mo | $77.27/hr |
| 94707 | Alameda County | $2,120/mo | $77.70/hr |
| 94708 | Alameda County | $2,670/mo | $100.98/hr |
| 94709 | Alameda County | $2,100/mo | $76.83/hr |
| 94710 | Alameda County | $2,290/mo | $85.06/hr |
| 94712 | Alameda County | $2,090/mo | $76.40/hr |
| 94720 | Alameda County | $2,060/mo | $75.10/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Berkeley needs to pay at least $80.73 an hour before taxes, about $167,918 a year. That is the figure for Alameda County, where the typical studio rent is $2,190 a month.
Yes. Across the 11 ZIP codes in Berkeley with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,930 to $2,670 a month. At the middle rent of $2,090, the pay needed would be $76.40 an hour.
The minimum wage in Alameda County is $16.90 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 4.8 times that.
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 and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads