Most of Memphis is in Shelby County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $32.50 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 48 ZIP codes in Memphis with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $840 to $1,540 a month. At the middle rent, $1,090, a full-time job would need to pay $32.50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38101 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38103 | Shelby County | $1,470/mo | $45.70/hr |
| 38104 | Shelby County | $1,220/mo | $36.82/hr |
| 38105 | Shelby County | $920/mo | $27.21/hr |
| 38106 | Shelby County | $910/mo | $26.90/hr |
| 38107 | Shelby County | $940/mo | $27.83/hr |
| 38108 | Shelby County | $850/mo | $25.03/hr |
| 38109 | Shelby County | $910/mo | $26.90/hr |
| 38111 | Shelby County | $1,040/mo | $30.95/hr |
| 38112 | Shelby County | $880/mo | $25.97/hr |
| 38113 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38114 | Shelby County | $900/mo | $26.59/hr |
| 38115 | Shelby County | $1,140/mo | $34.06/hr |
| 38116 | Shelby County | $1,050/mo | $31.26/hr |
| 38117 | Shelby County | $1,270/mo | $38.59/hr |
| 38118 | Shelby County | $1,050/mo | $31.26/hr |
| 38119 | Shelby County | $1,230/mo | $37.17/hr |
| 38120 | Shelby County | $1,410/mo | $43.57/hr |
| 38122 | Shelby County | $1,040/mo | $30.95/hr |
| 38124 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38125 | Shelby County | $1,340/mo | $41.08/hr |
| 38126 | Shelby County | $840/mo | $24.72/hr |
| 38127 | Shelby County | $990/mo | $29.39/hr |
| 38128 | Shelby County | $1,140/mo | $34.06/hr |
| 38130 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38131 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38132 | Shelby County | $990/mo | $29.39/hr |
| 38133 | Shelby County | $1,340/mo | $41.08/hr |
| 38134 | Shelby County | $1,070/mo | $31.88/hr |
| 38135 | Shelby County | $1,540/mo | $48.19/hr |
| 38137 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38141 | Shelby County | $1,320/mo | $40.37/hr |
| 38152 | Shelby County | $1,040/mo | $30.95/hr |
| 38157 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38166 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38167 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38168 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38173 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38174 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38175 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38177 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38181 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38182 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38184 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38186 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38187 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38188 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
| 38190 | Shelby County | $1,090/mo | $32.50/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Memphis needs to pay at least $32.50 an hour before taxes, about $67,602 a year. That is the figure for Shelby County, where the typical studio rent is $1,090 a month.
Yes. Across the 48 ZIP codes in Memphis with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $840 to $1,540 a month. At the middle rent of $1,090, the pay needed would be $32.50 an hour.
The minimum wage in Shelby County is $7.25 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 4.5 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