Most of Athens is in Clarke County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $32.81 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 9 ZIP codes in Athens with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,050 to $1,220 a month. At the middle rent, $1,120, a full-time job would need to pay $35.21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30601 | Clarke County | $1,220/mo | $39.03/hr |
| 30602 | Clarke County | $1,050/mo | $32.81/hr |
| 30603 | Clarke County | $1,120/mo | $35.21/hr |
| 30604 | Clarke County | $1,120/mo | $35.21/hr |
| 30605 | Clarke County | $1,050/mo | $32.81/hr |
| 30606 | Clarke County | $1,190/mo | $37.88/hr |
| 30607 | Clarke County | $1,050/mo | $32.81/hr |
| 30608 | Clarke County | $1,120/mo | $35.21/hr |
| 30609 | Clarke County | $1,050/mo | $32.81/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Athens needs to pay at least $32.81 an hour before taxes, about $68,242 a year. That is the figure for Clarke County, where the typical studio rent is $1,050 a month.
Yes. Across the 9 ZIP codes in Athens with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,050 to $1,220 a month. At the middle rent of $1,120, the pay needed would be $35.21 an hour.
The minimum wage in Clarke County is $7.25 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 4.5 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