Most of Lakewood is in Pierce County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $47.35 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 4 ZIP codes in Lakewood with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,320 to $1,490 a month. At the middle rent, $1,370, a full-time job would need to pay $43.00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98439 | Pierce County | $1,390/mo | $43.72/hr |
| 98496 | Pierce County | $1,490/mo | $47.35/hr |
| 98498 | Pierce County | $1,350/mo | $42.27/hr |
| 98499 | Pierce County | $1,320/mo | $41.18/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Lakewood needs to pay at least $47.35 an hour before taxes, about $98,479 a year. That is the figure for Pierce County, where the typical studio rent is $1,490 a month.
Yes. Across the 4 ZIP codes in Lakewood with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,320 to $1,490 a month. At the middle rent of $1,370, the pay needed would be $43.00 an hour.
The minimum wage in Pierce County is $17.13 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 2.8 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