Most of Lawrence is in Douglas County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $28.69 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 5 ZIP codes in Lawrence with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $890 to $1,010 a month. At the middle rent, $960, a full-time job would need to pay $30.02 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66044 | Douglas County | $920/mo | $28.69/hr |
| 66045 | Douglas County | $960/mo | $30.02/hr |
| 66046 | Douglas County | $890/mo | $27.68/hr |
| 66047 | Douglas County | $1,010/mo | $31.69/hr |
| 66049 | Douglas County | $1,010/mo | $31.69/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Lawrence needs to pay at least $28.69 an hour before taxes, about $59,666 a year. That is the figure for Douglas County, where the typical studio rent is $920 a month.
Yes. Across the 5 ZIP codes in Lawrence with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $890 to $1,010 a month. At the middle rent of $960, the pay needed would be $30.02 an hour.
The minimum wage in Douglas County is $7.25 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 4.0 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