To take home four times the typical rent here, a full-time job needs to pay at least $70.02 an hour before taxes, about $145,649 a year.
Rent is the middle of 89 ZIP-level HUD studio rents in the county. HUD's county-wide figure is $1,964 (Nassau-Suffolk, NY HUD Metro FMR Area).
Rents vary within the county. This is what the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent; the county figure above is what the calculator uses.
| ZIP | Place | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06390 | Fishers Island | $1,950/mo | $68.39/hr |
| 11701 | Amityville | $1,960/mo | $68.80/hr |
| 11702 | Babylon | $2,060/mo | $72.88/hr |
| 11703 | North Babylon | $1,850/mo | $64.32/hr |
| 11704 | West Babylon | $1,880/mo | $65.54/hr |
| 11705 | Bayport | $2,020/mo | $71.25/hr |
| 11706 | Bay Shore | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11713 | Bellport | $2,570/mo | $93.46/hr |
| 11715 | Blue Point | $2,020/mo | $71.25/hr |
| 11716 | Bohemia | $2,140/mo | $76.14/hr |
| 11717 | Brentwood | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11718 | Brightwaters | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11719 | Brookhaven | $2,210/mo | $78.99/hr |
| 11720 | Centereach | $1,880/mo | $65.54/hr |
| 11721 | Centerport | $2,800/mo | $102.07/hr |
| 11722 | Central Islip | $2,020/mo | $71.25/hr |
| 11724 | Cold Spring Harbor | $2,330/mo | $83.85/hr |
| 11725 | Commack | $2,150/mo | $76.55/hr |
| 11726 | Copiague | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11727 | Coram | $2,200/mo | $78.59/hr |
| 11729 | Deer Park | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11730 | East Islip | $2,210/mo | $78.99/hr |
| 11731 | East Northport | $2,000/mo | $70.43/hr |
| 11733 | East Setauket | $2,100/mo | $74.51/hr |
| 11735 | Farmingdale (partly) | $1,970/mo | $69.21/hr |
| 11738 | Farmingville | $2,420/mo | $87.46/hr |
| 11739 | Great River | $2,140/mo | $76.14/hr |
| 11740 | Greenlawn | $1,940/mo | $67.98/hr |
| 11741 | Holbrook | $2,100/mo | $74.51/hr |
| 11742 | Holtsville | $1,990/mo | $70.02/hr |
| 11743 | Huntington | $2,150/mo | $76.55/hr |
| 11746 | Huntington Station | $1,810/mo | $62.71/hr |
| 11747 | Melville | $2,440/mo | $88.26/hr |
| 11749 | Islandia | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11751 | Islip | $1,980/mo | $69.62/hr |
| 11752 | Islip Terrace | $2,150/mo | $76.55/hr |
| 11754 | Kings Park | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11755 | Lake Grove | $2,000/mo | $70.43/hr |
| 11757 | Lindenhurst | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11763 | Medford | $2,110/mo | $74.92/hr |
| 11764 | Miller Place | $2,270/mo | $81.44/hr |
| 11766 | Mount Sinai | $2,810/mo | $102.44/hr |
| 11767 | Nesconset | $1,910/mo | $66.76/hr |
| 11768 | Northport | $2,020/mo | $71.25/hr |
| 11769 | Oakdale | $2,020/mo | $71.25/hr |
| 11770 | Ocean Beach | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11772 | Patchogue | $1,860/mo | $64.72/hr |
| 11776 | Port Jefferson Station | $1,970/mo | $69.21/hr |
| 11777 | Port Jefferson | $2,020/mo | $71.25/hr |
| 11778 | Rocky Point | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11779 | Ronkonkoma | $1,910/mo | $66.76/hr |
| 11780 | Saint James | $1,960/mo | $68.80/hr |
| 11782 | Sayville | $2,040/mo | $72.06/hr |
| 11784 | Selden | $1,980/mo | $69.62/hr |
| 11786 | Shoreham | $2,240/mo | $80.22/hr |
| 11787 | Smithtown | $2,330/mo | $83.85/hr |
| 11788 | Hauppauge | $2,270/mo | $81.44/hr |
| 11789 | Sound Beach | $2,530/mo | $91.86/hr |
| 11790 | Stony Brook | $2,440/mo | $88.26/hr |
| 11792 | Wading River | $2,460/mo | $89.06/hr |
| 11794 | Stony Brook | $2,440/mo | $88.26/hr |
| 11795 | West Islip | $2,270/mo | $81.44/hr |
| 11796 | West Sayville | $2,150/mo | $76.55/hr |
| 11798 | Wyandanch | $1,920/mo | $67.17/hr |
| 11901 | Riverhead | $1,880/mo | $65.54/hr |
| 11930 | Amagansett | $2,390/mo | $86.26/hr |
| 11931 | Aquebogue | $1,880/mo | $65.54/hr |
| 11932 | Bridgehampton | $1,950/mo | $68.39/hr |
| 11933 | Calverton | $1,820/mo | $63.11/hr |
| 11934 | Center Moriches | $1,830/mo | $63.50/hr |
| 11935 | Cutchogue | $1,880/mo | $65.54/hr |
| 11937 | East Hampton | $2,520/mo | $91.46/hr |
| 11939 | East Marion | $2,150/mo | $76.55/hr |
| 11940 | East Moriches | $1,970/mo | $69.21/hr |
| 11941 | Eastport | $1,940/mo | $67.98/hr |
| 11942 | East Quogue | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11944 | Greenport | $1,810/mo | $62.71/hr |
| 11946 | Hampton Bays | $2,100/mo | $74.51/hr |
| 11947 | Jamesport | $1,880/mo | $65.54/hr |
| 11948 | Laurel | $1,950/mo | $68.39/hr |
| 11949 | Manorville | $1,910/mo | $66.76/hr |
| 11950 | Mastic | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11951 | Mastic Beach | $1,990/mo | $70.02/hr |
| 11952 | Mattituck | $1,880/mo | $65.54/hr |
| 11953 | Middle Island | $1,830/mo | $63.50/hr |
| 11954 | Montauk | $2,160/mo | $76.95/hr |
| 11955 | Moriches | $1,990/mo | $70.02/hr |
| 11956 | New Suffolk | $1,880/mo | $65.54/hr |
| 11957 | Orient | $2,150/mo | $76.55/hr |
| 11958 | Peconic | $1,920/mo | $67.17/hr |
| 11959 | Quogue | $2,780/mo | $101.35/hr |
| 11960 | Remsenburg | $1,950/mo | $68.39/hr |
| 11961 | Ridge | $1,800/mo | $62.31/hr |
| 11962 | Sagaponack | $1,950/mo | $68.39/hr |
| 11963 | Sag Harbor | $2,670/mo | $97.34/hr |
| 11964 | Shelter Island | $2,630/mo | $95.86/hr |
| 11965 | Shelter Island Heights | $2,080/mo | $73.69/hr |
| 11967 | Shirley | $1,920/mo | $67.17/hr |
| 11968 | Southampton | $1,910/mo | $66.76/hr |
| 11969 | Southampton | $1,950/mo | $68.39/hr |
| 11970 | South Jamesport | $1,950/mo | $68.39/hr |
| 11971 | Southold | $1,950/mo | $68.39/hr |
| 11972 | Speonk | $1,950/mo | $68.39/hr |
| 11973 | Upton | $1,880/mo | $65.54/hr |
| 11975 | Wainscott | $2,530/mo | $91.86/hr |
| 11976 | Water Mill | $2,130/mo | $75.73/hr |
| 11977 | Westhampton | $1,990/mo | $70.02/hr |
| 11978 | Westhampton Beach | $1,890/mo | $65.95/hr |
| 11980 | Yaphank | $2,400/mo | $86.66/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Suffolk County, New York needs to pay at least $70.02 an hour before taxes, about $145,649 a year. That leaves $7,960 a month after taxes, four times the typical $1,990 rent on a studio apartment.
The minimum wage here is $17.00 an hour (New York City, Long Island and Westchester rate). The standard is 4.1 times that. A full-time minimum-wage job takes home about $2,425 a month, 30% of the standard.
Take the typical monthly cost of a studio apartment, multiply by four, and divide by 160 hours of work a month. That's the take-home pay needed per hour. The pay before taxes is what it takes to keep that much after federal, state and local income taxes and Social Security and Medicare.
The idea behind the standard is laid out in Chapter 1: The Living Wage Revolution.