Nov 14, 2026

7 Major US Cities Where You Need To Earn $100K-$150K To Afford Rent

It won’t come as much of a surprise to hear that the most expensive cities to rent in are based on the coasts.

This data was crunched in Zillow’s June Rental Report where key findings included the typical asking rent in 50 major cities across the United States. Out of these 50 metros, seven were identified for requiring an income of $100,000 or greater to cover monthly rent.

Explore Next: 4 Best East Coast Cities With Home Values Under $250K

Keep Learning: 14 Subtly Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money — That You Should Do, Too

Major Northern and Southern California cities largely composed the list with New York and Miami as the only two locales from outside states. Sacramento was the only California city listed in the top 50 where rent won’t cost you six figures. The income needed is $92,327, positioning the city to be a few thousand dollars cheaper to rent in – for now.

Let’s see which major metros require a six-figure income to afford the rent, in order of where you’ll pay the most money.

1. San Jose, California

Typical rent: $3,729
Rent YoY: 6.2%
Income needed: $149,179

2. New York

Typical rent: $3,573
Rent YoY: 4.5%
Income needed: $142,933

3. San Francisco

Typical rent: $3,301
Rent YoY: 8.2%
Income needed: $132,059

4. San Diego

Typical rent: $2,991
Rent YoY: 1.7%
Income needed: $119,620

5. Los Angeles

Typical rent: $2,927
Rent YoY: 1.5%
Income needed: $117,090

6. Miami

Typical rent: $2,695
Rent YoY: 1.2%
Income needed: $107,784

7. Riverside, California

Typical rent: $2,539
Rent YoY: 2.3%
Income needed: $101,570

This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.

More From MoneyLion:

Written by

Heather Taylor

Edited by

Zuri Anderson