Most of Lowell 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 5 ZIP codes in Lowell with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,560 to $2,080 a month. At the middle rent, $1,590, a full-time job would need to pay $53.91 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01850 | Middlesex County | $1,560/mo | $52.76/hr |
| 01851 | Middlesex County | $1,700/mo | $58.15/hr |
| 01852 | Middlesex County | $1,590/mo | $53.91/hr |
| 01853 | Middlesex County | $2,080/mo | $73.09/hr |
| 01854 | Middlesex County | $1,590/mo | $53.91/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Lowell 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 5 ZIP codes in Lowell with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,560 to $2,080 a month. At the middle rent of $1,590, the pay needed would be $53.91 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