The National Low Income Housing Coalition today published its 2018 edition of Out of Reach – an annual report comparing wages to rental housing affordability throughout the United States. The Report defines a “Housing Wage” as the hourly wage a full-time worker would need to make in order to afford a modest two-bedroom rental unit in his or her area without spending more than 30% of income on rent. The full report and interactive map are available on NLIHC’s website.
The report’s findings include the following:
- A full-time worker must make $22.10 per hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment in the United States (as a national average; the report outlines more detailed numbers in each state and in metropolitan areas).
- The federal minimum wage ($7.25) fails to pay the rent for even a one-bedroom apartment in most areas, as the average necessary wage is $17.90.
- A minimum wage worker needs to work three full-time jobs to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.
