Most of Columbus is in Bartholomew County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $34.37 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 3 ZIP codes in Columbus with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,110 to $1,320 a month. At the middle rent, $1,260, a full-time job would need to pay $39.89 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47201 | Bartholomew County | $1,320/mo | $42.11/hr |
| 47202 | Bartholomew County | $1,260/mo | $39.89/hr |
| 47203 | Bartholomew County | $1,110/mo | $34.37/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Columbus needs to pay at least $34.37 an hour before taxes, about $71,480 a year. That is the figure for Bartholomew County, where the typical studio rent is $1,110 a month.
Yes. Across the 3 ZIP codes in Columbus with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,110 to $1,320 a month. At the middle rent of $1,260, the pay needed would be $39.89 an hour.
The minimum wage in Bartholomew County is $7.25 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 4.7 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