Most of Cambridge is in Middlesex County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $88.99 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 6 ZIP codes in Cambridge with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $2,470 to $3,500 a month. At the middle rent, $3,270, a full-time job would need to pay $118.88 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02138 | Middlesex County | $3,500/mo | $128.36/hr |
| 02139 | Middlesex County | $3,320/mo | $120.94/hr |
| 02140 | Middlesex County | $3,080/mo | $111.33/hr |
| 02141 | Middlesex County | $3,220/mo | $116.82/hr |
| 02142 | Middlesex County | $3,320/mo | $120.94/hr |
| 02238 | Middlesex County | $2,470/mo | $88.59/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Cambridge needs to pay at least $88.99 an hour before taxes, about $185,098 a year. That is the figure for Middlesex County, where the typical studio rent is $2,480 a month.
Yes. Across the 6 ZIP codes in Cambridge with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $2,470 to $3,500 a month. At the middle rent of $3,270, the pay needed would be $118.88 an hour.
The minimum wage in Middlesex County is $15.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 5.9 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