Most of Fargo is in Cass County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $22.54 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 8 ZIP codes in Fargo with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $740 to $920 a month. At the middle rent, $770, a full-time job would need to pay $22.54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58102 | Cass County | $740/mo | $21.61/hr |
| 58103 | Cass County | $740/mo | $21.61/hr |
| 58104 | Cass County | $920/mo | $27.21/hr |
| 58105 | Cass County | $740/mo | $21.61/hr |
| 58106 | Cass County | $770/mo | $22.54/hr |
| 58107 | Cass County | $770/mo | $22.54/hr |
| 58108 | Cass County | $770/mo | $22.54/hr |
| 58109 | Cass County | $770/mo | $22.54/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Fargo needs to pay at least $22.54 an hour before taxes, about $46,893 a year. That is the figure for Cass County, where the typical studio rent is $770 a month.
Yes. Across the 8 ZIP codes in Fargo with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $740 to $920 a month. At the middle rent of $770, the pay needed would be $22.54 an hour.
The minimum wage in Cass County is $7.25 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 3.1 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