To take home four times the typical rent, a full-time job in Iowa needs to pay from $19.63 an hour in Union County to $33.02 in Polk County, before taxes. The middle county is Howard County at $21.59.
| County | Pay needed | Studio rent |
|---|---|---|
| Adair County | $20.93/hr | $700/mo |
| Adams County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Allamakee County | $21.26/hr | $710/mo |
| Appanoose County | $20.93/hr | $700/mo |
| Audubon County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Benton County | $22.57/hr | $750/mo |
| Black Hawk County | $22.24/hr | $740/mo |
| Boone County | $22.57/hr | $750/mo |
| Bremer County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Buchanan County | $22.24/hr | $740/mo |
| Buena Vista County | $23.87/hr | $790/mo |
| Butler County | $21.26/hr | $710/mo |
| Calhoun County | $21.91/hr | $730/mo |
| Carroll County | $24.20/hr | $800/mo |
| Cass County | $21.59/hr | $720/mo |
| Cedar County | $22.89/hr | $760/mo |
| Cerro Gordo County | $22.24/hr | $740/mo |
| Cherokee County | $21.10/hr | $705/mo |
| Chickasaw County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Clarke County | $19.63/hr | $660/mo |
| Clay County | $23.22/hr | $770/mo |
| Clayton County | $22.24/hr | $740/mo |
| Clinton County | $19.79/hr | $665/mo |
| Crawford County | $20.77/hr | $695/mo |
| Dallas County | $28.12/hr | $920/mo |
| Davis County | $22.89/hr | $760/mo |
| Decatur County | $20.77/hr | $695/mo |
| Delaware County | $20.93/hr | $700/mo |
| Des Moines County | $22.57/hr | $750/mo |
| Dickinson County | $25.18/hr | $830/mo |
| Dubuque County | $23.87/hr | $790/mo |
| Emmet County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Fayette County | $20.93/hr | $700/mo |
| Floyd County | $22.24/hr | $740/mo |
| Franklin County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Fremont County | $25.18/hr | $830/mo |
| Greene County | $21.59/hr | $720/mo |
| Grundy County | $19.63/hr | $660/mo |
| Guthrie County | $24.53/hr | $810/mo |
| Hamilton County | $22.24/hr | $740/mo |
| Hancock County | $20.93/hr | $700/mo |
| Hardin County | $20.77/hr | $695/mo |
| Harrison County | $26.65/hr | $875/mo |
| Henry County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Howard County | $21.59/hr | $720/mo |
| Humboldt County | $22.89/hr | $760/mo |
| Ida County | $21.26/hr | $710/mo |
| Iowa County | $21.59/hr | $720/mo |
| Jackson County | $21.26/hr | $710/mo |
| Jasper County | $23.87/hr | $790/mo |
| Jefferson County | $25.51/hr | $840/mo |
| Johnson County | $30.40/hr | $990/mo |
| Jones County | $20.12/hr | $675/mo |
| Keokuk County | $21.91/hr | $730/mo |
| Kossuth County | $20.77/hr | $695/mo |
| Lee County | $19.63/hr | $660/mo |
| Linn County | $22.08/hr | $735/mo |
| Louisa County | $20.77/hr | $695/mo |
| Lucas County | $22.08/hr | $735/mo |
| Lyon County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Madison County | $26.81/hr | $880/mo |
| Mahaska County | $21.26/hr | $710/mo |
| Marion County | $20.28/hr | $680/mo |
| Marshall County | $23.87/hr | $790/mo |
| Mills County | $28.45/hr | $930/mo |
| Mitchell County | $20.93/hr | $700/mo |
| Monona County | $22.24/hr | $740/mo |
| Monroe County | $21.59/hr | $720/mo |
| Montgomery County | $22.57/hr | $750/mo |
| Muscatine County | $24.20/hr | $800/mo |
| O'Brien County | $21.59/hr | $720/mo |
| Osceola County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Page County | $20.93/hr | $700/mo |
| Palo Alto County | $21.26/hr | $710/mo |
| Plymouth County | $22.89/hr | $760/mo |
| Pocahontas County | $20.77/hr | $695/mo |
| Polk County | $33.02/hr | $1,070/mo |
| Pottawattamie County | $28.45/hr | $930/mo |
| Poweshiek County | $21.91/hr | $730/mo |
| Ringgold County | $20.93/hr | $700/mo |
| Sac County | $23.87/hr | $790/mo |
| Scott County | $25.51/hr | $840/mo |
| Shelby County | $22.24/hr | $740/mo |
| Sioux County | $22.24/hr | $740/mo |
| Story County | $26.81/hr | $880/mo |
| Tama County | $21.59/hr | $720/mo |
| Taylor County | $20.93/hr | $700/mo |
| Union County | $19.63/hr | $660/mo |
| Van Buren County | $21.59/hr | $720/mo |
| Wapello County | $23.87/hr | $790/mo |
| Warren County | $31.71/hr | $1,030/mo |
| Washington County | $23.22/hr | $770/mo |
| Wayne County | $20.77/hr | $695/mo |
| Webster County | $19.95/hr | $670/mo |
| Winnebago County | $21.10/hr | $705/mo |
| Winneshiek County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Woodbury County | $22.89/hr | $760/mo |
| Worth County | $20.61/hr | $690/mo |
| Wright County | $20.61/hr | $690/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?