How we calculate it
- Housing wage = 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent x 12, divided by 30%, divided by 2,080 working hours a year (40 hours x 52 weeks).
- Hours needed = housing wage divided by the state minimum wage, times 40.
- Minimum wages are the basic state rates in the U.S. Department of Labor table current as of July 1, 2026 (the federal $7.25 where a state has none or a lower one). Some cities and counties set higher local rates, and multi-state metros use the first state in the name.
The 25 metros where it takes the most hours
| Rank | Metro area | 2-bedroom rent | Housing wage | Minimum wage | Hours a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Rockingham County, NH | $2,220 | $42.69 | $7.25 (NH) | 236 |
| 2 | Portsmouth-Rochester, NH | $2,194 | $42.19 | $7.25 (NH) | 233 |
| 3 | Nashua, NH | $2,127 | $40.90 | $7.25 (NH) | 226 |
| 4 | Manchester, NH | $2,037 | $39.17 | $7.25 (NH) | 216 |
| 5 | Dallas, TX | $1,931 | $37.13 | $7.25 (TX) | 205 |
| 6 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $1,852 | $35.62 | $7.25 (TX) | 196 |
| 7 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $1,820 | $35.00 | $7.25 (GA) | 193 |
| 8 | Beaufort County, SC | $1,816 | $34.92 | $7.25 (SC) | 193 |
| 9 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $1,810 | $34.81 | $7.25 (PA) | 192 |
| 10 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $4,214 | $81.04 | $16.90 (CA) | 192 |
| 11 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $1,787 | $34.37 | $7.25 (SC) | 190 |
| 12 | Midland, TX | $1,780 | $34.23 | $7.25 (TX) | 189 |
| 13 | Martin County, TX | $1,772 | $34.08 | $7.25 (TX) | 188 |
| 14 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $1,750 | $33.65 | $7.25 (NC) | 186 |
| 15 | Salt Lake City, UT | $1,747 | $33.60 | $7.25 (UT) | 185 |
| 16 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $1,730 | $33.27 | $7.25 (TN) | 184 |
| 17 | Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $1,723 | $33.13 | $7.25 (TX) | 183 |
| 18 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $1,711 | $32.90 | $7.25 (NC) | 182 |
| 19 | Gates County, NC | $1,709 | $32.87 | $7.25 (NC) | 181 |
| 20 | Madison, WI | $1,694 | $32.58 | $7.25 (WI) | 180 |
| 21 | Hillsborough County, NH (part) | $1,698 | $32.65 | $7.25 (NH) | 180 |
| 22 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $1,686 | $32.42 | $7.25 (NC) | 179 |
| 23 | Savannah, GA | $1,680 | $32.31 | $7.25 (GA) | 178 |
| 24 | Boise City, ID | $1,655 | $31.83 | $7.25 (ID) | 176 |
| 25 | Wilmington, NC | $1,659 | $31.90 | $7.25 (NC) | 176 |
The 25 metros where it takes the fewest hours
| Rank | Metro area | 2-bedroom rent | Housing wage | Minimum wage | Hours a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 637 | Stevens County, WA | $1,131 | $21.75 | $17.13 (WA) | 51 |
| 638 | Seward County, NE | $967 | $18.60 | $15.00 (NE) | 50 |
| 639 | Massac County, IL | $969 | $18.63 | $15.00 (IL) | 50 |
| 640 | Cooper County, MO | $958 | $18.42 | $15.00 (MO) | 49 |
| 641 | Merrick County, NE | $961 | $18.48 | $15.00 (NE) | 49 |
| 642 | Joplin, MO | $947 | $18.21 | $15.00 (MO) | 49 |
| 643 | San Juan-Guaynabo, PR | $663 | $12.75 | $10.50 (PR) | 49 |
| 644 | Bates County, MO | $927 | $17.83 | $15.00 (MO) | 48 |
| 645 | Ford County, IL | $916 | $17.62 | $15.00 (IL) | 47 |
| 646 | Jefferson City, MO | $910 | $17.50 | $15.00 (MO) | 47 |
| 647 | Moniteau County, MO | $922 | $17.73 | $15.00 (MO) | 47 |
| 648 | Bond County, IL | $916 | $17.62 | $15.00 (IL) | 47 |
| 649 | Macoupin County, IL | $916 | $17.62 | $15.00 (IL) | 47 |
| 650 | Dallas County, MO | $888 | $17.08 | $15.00 (MO) | 46 |
| 651 | Polk County, MO | $888 | $17.08 | $15.00 (MO) | 46 |
| 652 | Fajardo, PR | $600 | $11.54 | $10.50 (PR) | 44 |
| 653 | Caguas, PR | $576 | $11.08 | $10.50 (PR) | 42 |
| 654 | Aguadilla, PR | $564 | $10.85 | $10.50 (PR) | 41 |
| 655 | Mayagüez, PR | $536 | $10.31 | $10.50 (PR) | 39 |
| 656 | San Germán, PR | $530 | $10.19 | $10.50 (PR) | 39 |
| 657 | Ponce, PR | $538 | $10.35 | $10.50 (PR) | 39 |
| 658 | Arecibo, PR | $510 | $9.81 | $10.50 (PR) | 37 |
| 659 | Yauco, PR | $486 | $9.35 | $10.50 (PR) | 36 |
| 660 | Barranquitas-Aibonito, PR | $493 | $9.48 | $10.50 (PR) | 36 |
| 661 | Guayama, PR | $475 | $9.13 | $10.50 (PR) | 35 |
What this means
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of a typical modest rental, not the cheapest unit in town, and many households have more than one earner. Still, the gap shows why so many renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Check your own budget with the rent affordability calculator, and plan the upfront cost of a move with the move-in cost calculator.
Sources: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026), HUD eGIS open data; U.S. Department of Labor, "Consolidated Minimum Wage Table" (current as of July 1, 2026).
