Most of Towson is in Baltimore County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $51.91 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 5 ZIP codes in Towson with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,480 to $1,780 a month. At the middle rent, $1,630, a full-time job would need to pay $57.42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21204 | Baltimore County | $1,780/mo | $63.44/hr |
| 21252 | Baltimore County | $1,760/mo | $62.64/hr |
| 21284 | Baltimore County | $1,480/mo | $51.31/hr |
| 21285 | Baltimore County | $1,630/mo | $57.42/hr |
| 21286 | Baltimore County | $1,560/mo | $54.61/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Towson needs to pay at least $51.91 an hour before taxes, about $107,977 a year. That is the figure for Baltimore County, where the typical studio rent is $1,495 a month.
Yes. Across the 5 ZIP codes in Towson with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,480 to $1,780 a month. At the middle rent of $1,630, the pay needed would be $57.42 an hour.
The minimum wage in Baltimore County is $15.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 3.5 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