Most of Columbus is in Lowndes County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $25.03 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 6 ZIP codes in Columbus with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $780 to $920 a month. At the middle rent, $800, a full-time job would need to pay $24.21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39701 | Lowndes County | $780/mo | $23.55/hr |
| 39702 | Lowndes County | $780/mo | $23.55/hr |
| 39703 | Lowndes County | $800/mo | $24.21/hr |
| 39704 | Lowndes County | $800/mo | $24.21/hr |
| 39705 | Lowndes County | $920/mo | $28.14/hr |
| 39710 | Lowndes County | $800/mo | $24.21/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Columbus needs to pay at least $25.03 an hour before taxes, about $52,057 a year. That is the figure for Lowndes County, where the typical studio rent is $825 a month.
Yes. Across the 6 ZIP codes in Columbus with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $780 to $920 a month. At the middle rent of $800, the pay needed would be $24.21 an hour.
The minimum wage in Lowndes County is $7.25 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