To take home four times the typical rent, a full-time job in New York needs to pay from $21.90 an hour in Franklin County to $132.88 in New York County, before taxes. The middle county is Warren County at $30.96.
| County | Pay needed | Studio rent |
|---|---|---|
| Albany County | $41.24/hr | $1,260/mo |
| Allegany County | $24.25/hr | $780/mo |
| Bronx County | $92.69/hr | $2,300/mo |
| Broome County | $24.92/hr | $800/mo |
| Cattaraugus County | $23.41/hr | $755/mo |
| Cayuga County | $30.29/hr | $960/mo |
| Chautauqua County | $22.24/hr | $720/mo |
| Chemung County | $33.31/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Chenango County | $27.10/hr | $865/mo |
| Clinton County | $28.61/hr | $910/mo |
| Columbia County | $38.91/hr | $1,200/mo |
| Cortland County | $28.78/hr | $915/mo |
| Delaware County | $26.77/hr | $855/mo |
| Dutchess County | $50.57/hr | $1,500/mo |
| Erie County | $36.20/hr | $1,130/mo |
| Essex County | $26.93/hr | $860/mo |
| Franklin County | $21.90/hr | $710/mo |
| Fulton County | $25.26/hr | $810/mo |
| Genesee County | $28.61/hr | $910/mo |
| Greene County | $30.29/hr | $960/mo |
| Hamilton County | $30.62/hr | $970/mo |
| Herkimer County | $25.26/hr | $810/mo |
| Jefferson County | $27.60/hr | $880/mo |
| Kings County | $104.54/hr | $2,590/mo |
| Lewis County | $23.75/hr | $765/mo |
| Livingston County | $31.97/hr | $1,010/mo |
| Madison County | $28.27/hr | $900/mo |
| Monroe County | $33.31/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Montgomery County | $25.26/hr | $810/mo |
| Nassau County | $72.06/hr | $2,040/mo |
| New York County | $132.88/hr | $3,210/mo |
| Niagara County | $32.30/hr | $1,020/mo |
| Oneida County | $27.94/hr | $890/mo |
| Onondaga County | $33.98/hr | $1,070/mo |
| Ontario County | $31.97/hr | $1,010/mo |
| Orange County | $51.34/hr | $1,520/mo |
| Orleans County | $31.97/hr | $1,010/mo |
| Oswego County | $29.78/hr | $945/mo |
| Otsego County | $26.93/hr | $860/mo |
| Putnam County | $89.86/hr | $2,480/mo |
| Queens County | $112.31/hr | $2,785/mo |
| Rensselaer County | $40.08/hr | $1,230/mo |
| Richmond County | $99.43/hr | $2,460/mo |
| Rockland County | $95.06/hr | $2,610/mo |
| Saratoga County | $38.72/hr | $1,195/mo |
| Schenectady County | $36.59/hr | $1,140/mo |
| Schoharie County | $35.05/hr | $1,100/mo |
| Schuyler County | $26.09/hr | $835/mo |
| Seneca County | $30.29/hr | $960/mo |
| St. Lawrence County | $23.58/hr | $760/mo |
| Steuben County | $24.92/hr | $800/mo |
| Suffolk County | $70.02/hr | $1,990/mo |
| Sullivan County | $32.64/hr | $1,030/mo |
| Tioga County | $28.27/hr | $900/mo |
| Tompkins County | $37.75/hr | $1,170/mo |
| Ulster County | $43.37/hr | $1,315/mo |
| Warren County | $30.96/hr | $980/mo |
| Washington County | $32.64/hr | $1,030/mo |
| Wayne County | $31.97/hr | $1,010/mo |
| Westchester County | $107.95/hr | $2,960/mo |
| Wyoming County | $27.27/hr | $870/mo |
| Yates County | $24.92/hr | $800/mo |
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, state and local income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent?