Most of Chicago is in Cook County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $55.93 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 76 ZIP codes in Chicago with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,250 to $2,520 a month. At the middle rent, $1,650, a full-time job would need to pay $55.93 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60601 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60602 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60603 | Cook County | $2,470/mo | $88.02/hr |
| 60604 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60605 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60606 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60607 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60608 | Cook County | $1,440/mo | $47.90/hr |
| 60609 | Cook County | $1,250/mo | $40.64/hr |
| 60610 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60611 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60612 | Cook County | $1,780/mo | $60.90/hr |
| 60613 | Cook County | $2,430/mo | $86.45/hr |
| 60614 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60615 | Cook County | $2,040/mo | $71.07/hr |
| 60616 | Cook County | $1,890/mo | $65.15/hr |
| 60617 | Cook County | $1,270/mo | $41.40/hr |
| 60618 | Cook County | $1,940/mo | $67.12/hr |
| 60619 | Cook County | $1,370/mo | $45.22/hr |
| 60620 | Cook County | $1,370/mo | $45.22/hr |
| 60621 | Cook County | $1,280/mo | $41.78/hr |
| 60622 | Cook County | $2,340/mo | $82.90/hr |
| 60623 | Cook County | $1,280/mo | $41.78/hr |
| 60624 | Cook County | $1,440/mo | $47.90/hr |
| 60625 | Cook County | $1,990/mo | $69.10/hr |
| 60626 | Cook County | $1,900/mo | $65.55/hr |
| 60628 | Cook County | $1,420/mo | $47.13/hr |
| 60629 | Cook County | $1,310/mo | $42.93/hr |
| 60630 | Cook County | $1,740/mo | $59.37/hr |
| 60631 | Cook County | $1,830/mo | $62.81/hr |
| 60632 | Cook County | $1,250/mo | $40.64/hr |
| 60633 | Cook County | $1,350/mo | $44.46/hr |
| 60634 | Cook County | $1,610/mo | $54.40/hr |
| 60636 | Cook County | $1,350/mo | $44.46/hr |
| 60637 | Cook County | $1,450/mo | $48.28/hr |
| 60638 | Cook County | $1,530/mo | $51.34/hr |
| 60639 | Cook County | $1,470/mo | $49.05/hr |
| 60640 | Cook County | $2,170/mo | $76.19/hr |
| 60641 | Cook County | $1,640/mo | $55.54/hr |
| 60642 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60643 | Cook County | $1,570/mo | $52.87/hr |
| 60644 | Cook County | $1,370/mo | $45.22/hr |
| 60645 | Cook County | $1,790/mo | $61.28/hr |
| 60646 | Cook County | $1,600/mo | $54.01/hr |
| 60647 | Cook County | $2,140/mo | $75.01/hr |
| 60649 | Cook County | $1,430/mo | $47.52/hr |
| 60651 | Cook County | $1,440/mo | $47.90/hr |
| 60652 | Cook County | $1,570/mo | $52.87/hr |
| 60653 | Cook County | $1,260/mo | $41.02/hr |
| 60654 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60655 | Cook County | $1,680/mo | $57.07/hr |
| 60656 | Cook County | $1,640/mo | $55.54/hr |
| 60657 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60659 | Cook County | $1,740/mo | $59.37/hr |
| 60660 | Cook County | $2,090/mo | $73.04/hr |
| 60661 | Cook County | $2,520/mo | $89.99/hr |
| 60666 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60669 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60670 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60673 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60674 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60675 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60678 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60682 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60685 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60686 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60687 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60688 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60689 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60690 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60693 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60694 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60695 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60697 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60699 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
| 60701 | Cook County | $1,650/mo | $55.93/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Chicago needs to pay at least $55.93 an hour before taxes, about $116,326 a year. That is the figure for Cook County, where the typical studio rent is $1,650 a month.
Yes. Across the 76 ZIP codes in Chicago with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,250 to $2,520 a month. At the middle rent of $1,650, the pay needed would be $55.93 an hour.
The minimum wage in Cook County is $15.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 3.7 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