Most of Boston is in Suffolk County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $96.86 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 23 ZIP codes in Boston with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $2,470 to $3,660 a month. At the middle rent, $2,940, a full-time job would need to pay $106.23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02108 | Suffolk County | $2,980/mo | $107.69/hr |
| 02109 | Suffolk County | $3,270/mo | $118.88/hr |
| 02110 | Suffolk County | $3,660/mo | $134.95/hr |
| 02111 | Suffolk County | $2,940/mo | $106.23/hr |
| 02112 | Suffolk County | $2,520/mo | $90.58/hr |
| 02113 | Suffolk County | $3,100/mo | $112.06/hr |
| 02114 | Suffolk County | $3,550/mo | $130.42/hr |
| 02115 | Suffolk County | $2,920/mo | $105.50/hr |
| 02116 | Suffolk County | $3,350/mo | $122.18/hr |
| 02117 | Suffolk County | $2,520/mo | $90.58/hr |
| 02118 | Suffolk County | $2,470/mo | $88.59/hr |
| 02123 | Suffolk County | $2,520/mo | $90.58/hr |
| 02133 | Suffolk County | $3,150/mo | $113.93/hr |
| 02163 | Suffolk County | $3,100/mo | $112.06/hr |
| 02196 | Suffolk County | $2,520/mo | $90.58/hr |
| 02199 | Suffolk County | $3,660/mo | $134.95/hr |
| 02201 | Suffolk County | $2,520/mo | $90.58/hr |
| 02203 | Suffolk County | $2,520/mo | $90.58/hr |
| 02205 | Suffolk County | $2,520/mo | $90.58/hr |
| 02210 | Suffolk County | $3,420/mo | $125.06/hr |
| 02215 | Suffolk County | $3,280/mo | $119.29/hr |
| 02217 | Suffolk County | $2,520/mo | $90.58/hr |
| 02222 | Suffolk County | $2,520/mo | $90.58/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Boston needs to pay at least $96.86 an hour before taxes, about $201,466 a year. That is the figure for Suffolk County, where the typical studio rent is $2,680 a month.
Yes. Across the 23 ZIP codes in Boston with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $2,470 to $3,660 a month. At the middle rent of $2,940, the pay needed would be $106.23 an hour.
The minimum wage in Suffolk County is $15.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 6.5 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