To take home four times the typical rent, a full-time job in Georgia needs to pay from $22.19 an hour in Laurens County to $63.13 in Forsyth County, before taxes. The middle county is Rabun County at $26.51.
| County | Pay needed | Studio rent |
|---|---|---|
| Appling County | $25.51/hr | $830/mo |
| Atkinson County | $24.85/hr | $810/mo |
| Bacon County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Baker County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Baldwin County | $24.18/hr | $790/mo |
| Banks County | $31.15/hr | $1,000/mo |
| Barrow County | $47.06/hr | $1,430/mo |
| Bartow County | $33.97/hr | $1,085/mo |
| Ben Hill County | $26.04/hr | $846/mo |
| Berrien County | $26.67/hr | $865/mo |
| Bibb County | $31.81/hr | $1,020/mo |
| Bleckley County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Brantley County | $29.16/hr | $940/mo |
| Brooks County | $25.51/hr | $830/mo |
| Bryan County | $42.47/hr | $1,310/mo |
| Bulloch County | $25.51/hr | $830/mo |
| Burke County | $23.35/hr | $765/mo |
| Butts County | $28.16/hr | $910/mo |
| Calhoun County | $25.34/hr | $825/mo |
| Camden County | $30.98/hr | $995/mo |
| Candler County | $23.59/hr | $772/mo |
| Carroll County | $31.32/hr | $1,005/mo |
| Catoosa County | $37.54/hr | $1,181/mo |
| Charlton County | $27.97/hr | $904/mo |
| Chatham County | $50.12/hr | $1,510/mo |
| Chattahoochee County | $32.01/hr | $1,026/mo |
| Chattooga County | $25.18/hr | $820/mo |
| Cherokee County | $53.57/hr | $1,600/mo |
| Clarke County | $32.81/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Clay County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Clayton County | $44.39/hr | $1,360/mo |
| Clinch County | $25.51/hr | $830/mo |
| Cobb County | $56.44/hr | $1,675/mo |
| Coffee County | $22.36/hr | $735/mo |
| Colquitt County | $26.84/hr | $870/mo |
| Columbia County | $35.21/hr | $1,120/mo |
| Cook County | $24.52/hr | $800/mo |
| Coweta County | $40.56/hr | $1,260/mo |
| Crawford County | $30.49/hr | $980/mo |
| Crisp County | $24.12/hr | $788/mo |
| Dade County | $29.16/hr | $940/mo |
| Dawson County | $51.81/hr | $1,554/mo |
| Decatur County | $24.18/hr | $790/mo |
| DeKalb County | $53.18/hr | $1,590/mo |
| Dodge County | $23.52/hr | $770/mo |
| Dooly County | $25.51/hr | $830/mo |
| Dougherty County | $31.15/hr | $1,000/mo |
| Douglas County | $46.87/hr | $1,425/mo |
| Early County | $25.18/hr | $820/mo |
| Echols County | $27.77/hr | $898/mo |
| Effingham County | $42.47/hr | $1,310/mo |
| Elbert County | $25.84/hr | $840/mo |
| Emanuel County | $24.85/hr | $810/mo |
| Evans County | $23.22/hr | $761/mo |
| Fannin County | $23.19/hr | $760/mo |
| Fayette County | $52.42/hr | $1,570/mo |
| Floyd County | $26.17/hr | $850/mo |
| Forsyth County | $63.13/hr | $1,850/mo |
| Franklin County | $24.35/hr | $795/mo |
| Fulton County | $55.86/hr | $1,660/mo |
| Gilmer County | $24.85/hr | $810/mo |
| Glascock County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Glynn County | $35.59/hr | $1,130/mo |
| Gordon County | $25.18/hr | $820/mo |
| Grady County | $25.18/hr | $820/mo |
| Greene County | $32.81/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Gwinnett County | $59.30/hr | $1,750/mo |
| Habersham County | $27.83/hr | $900/mo |
| Hall County | $37.31/hr | $1,175/mo |
| Hancock County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Haralson County | $23.85/hr | $780/mo |
| Harris County | $31.81/hr | $1,020/mo |
| Hart County | $25.34/hr | $825/mo |
| Heard County | $51.81/hr | $1,554/mo |
| Henry County | $50.89/hr | $1,530/mo |
| Houston County | $37.69/hr | $1,185/mo |
| Irwin County | $26.51/hr | $860/mo |
| Jackson County | $33.64/hr | $1,075/mo |
| Jasper County | $31.15/hr | $1,000/mo |
| Jeff Davis County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Jefferson County | $24.18/hr | $790/mo |
| Jenkins County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Johnson County | $24.05/hr | $786/mo |
| Jones County | $34.81/hr | $1,109/mo |
| Lamar County | $24.18/hr | $790/mo |
| Lanier County | $27.77/hr | $898/mo |
| Laurens County | $22.19/hr | $730/mo |
| Lee County | $29.59/hr | $953/mo |
| Liberty County | $39.03/hr | $1,220/mo |
| Lincoln County | $23.59/hr | $772/mo |
| Long County | $32.01/hr | $1,026/mo |
| Lowndes County | $27.50/hr | $890/mo |
| Lumpkin County | $31.55/hr | $1,012/mo |
| Macon County | $25.01/hr | $815/mo |
| Madison County | $32.81/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Marion County | $25.84/hr | $840/mo |
| McDuffie County | $31.05/hr | $997/mo |
| McIntosh County | $30.85/hr | $991/mo |
| Meriwether County | $24.02/hr | $785/mo |
| Miller County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Mitchell County | $25.68/hr | $835/mo |
| Monroe County | $30.49/hr | $980/mo |
| Montgomery County | $24.52/hr | $800/mo |
| Morgan County | $37.88/hr | $1,190/mo |
| Murray County | $23.85/hr | $780/mo |
| Muscogee County | $34.30/hr | $1,095/mo |
| Newton County | $38.27/hr | $1,200/mo |
| Oconee County | $45.15/hr | $1,380/mo |
| Oglethorpe County | $32.81/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Paulding County | $50.12/hr | $1,510/mo |
| Peach County | $24.71/hr | $806/mo |
| Pickens County | $33.80/hr | $1,080/mo |
| Pierce County | $25.18/hr | $820/mo |
| Pike County | $28.83/hr | $930/mo |
| Polk County | $24.52/hr | $800/mo |
| Pulaski County | $25.34/hr | $825/mo |
| Putnam County | $28.76/hr | $928/mo |
| Quitman County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Rabun County | $26.51/hr | $860/mo |
| Randolph County | $24.52/hr | $800/mo |
| Richmond County | $30.49/hr | $980/mo |
| Rockdale County | $47.83/hr | $1,450/mo |
| Schley County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Screven County | $28.83/hr | $930/mo |
| Seminole County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Spalding County | $51.81/hr | $1,554/mo |
| Stephens County | $23.52/hr | $770/mo |
| Stewart County | $27.17/hr | $880/mo |
| Sumter County | $24.85/hr | $810/mo |
| Talbot County | $26.17/hr | $850/mo |
| Taliaferro County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Tattnall County | $23.35/hr | $765/mo |
| Taylor County | $24.52/hr | $800/mo |
| Telfair County | $26.51/hr | $860/mo |
| Terrell County | $26.84/hr | $870/mo |
| Thomas County | $29.82/hr | $960/mo |
| Tift County | $26.84/hr | $870/mo |
| Toombs County | $25.51/hr | $830/mo |
| Towns County | $25.34/hr | $825/mo |
| Treutlen County | $23.22/hr | $761/mo |
| Troup County | $25.84/hr | $840/mo |
| Turner County | $26.51/hr | $860/mo |
| Twiggs County | $30.49/hr | $980/mo |
| Union County | $24.22/hr | $791/mo |
| Upson County | $26.17/hr | $850/mo |
| Walker County | $30.65/hr | $985/mo |
| Walton County | $33.64/hr | $1,075/mo |
| Ware County | $25.34/hr | $825/mo |
| Warren County | $24.18/hr | $790/mo |
| Washington County | $24.18/hr | $790/mo |
| Wayne County | $23.35/hr | $765/mo |
| Webster County | $24.45/hr | $798/mo |
| Wheeler County | $23.22/hr | $761/mo |
| White County | $28.83/hr | $930/mo |
| Whitfield County | $25.84/hr | $840/mo |
| Wilcox County | $24.52/hr | $800/mo |
| Wilkes County | $27.17/hr | $880/mo |
| Wilkinson County | $28.16/hr | $910/mo |
| Worth County | $30.82/hr | $990/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?