Most of Charleston is in Kanawha County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $22.03 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 36 ZIP codes in Charleston with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $660 to $1,010 a month. At the middle rent, $730, a full-time job would need to pay $22.03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25301 | Kanawha County | $660/mo | $19.76/hr |
| 25302 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25304 | Kanawha County | $800/mo | $24.32/hr |
| 25305 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25306 | Kanawha County | $1,010/mo | $31.22/hr |
| 25311 | Kanawha County | $750/mo | $22.68/hr |
| 25312 | Kanawha County | $720/mo | $21.70/hr |
| 25313 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25314 | Kanawha County | $860/mo | $26.29/hr |
| 25315 | Kanawha County | $690/mo | $20.73/hr |
| 25320 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25321 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25322 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25323 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25324 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25325 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25326 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25327 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25328 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25329 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25330 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25331 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25332 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25333 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25334 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25335 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25336 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25337 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25338 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25339 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25356 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25361 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25362 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25364 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
| 25387 | Kanawha County | $810/mo | $24.65/hr |
| 25389 | Kanawha County | $730/mo | $22.03/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Charleston needs to pay at least $22.03 an hour before taxes, about $45,813 a year. That is the figure for Kanawha County, where the typical studio rent is $730 a month.
Yes. Across the 36 ZIP codes in Charleston with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $660 to $1,010 a month. At the middle rent of $730, the pay needed would be $22.03 an hour.
The minimum wage in Kanawha County is $8.75 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 2.5 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