Here’s What You Need To Earn To Comfortably Rent a 2-Bedroom in Every State
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines an affordable rent as one that costs 30% or less of your gross monthly income. The calculation for any particular rent is easy – just divide the monthly payment by 0.3. But whether that amount is really enough depends on your other expenses.
To find out how much income you need to rent a two-bedroom apartment in each state, MoneyLion analyzed median rent data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey and personal consumption expenditure data from the Bureau of Economic Research.
Find Out: The Minimum Salary You Need To Feel Financially Stable in Every State in 2026
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You don’t need to be a six-figure earner to afford an apartment in any state, but as you’ll see below, income that makes the rent “affordable” isn’t necessary enough to cover what people actually spend.
Alabama
Rent: $1,048
Income needed to afford rent: $41,920
How much people actually spend: $47,096
Alaska
Rent: $1,453
Income needed to afford rent: $58,120
How much people actually spend: $66,356
Arizona
Rent: $1,453
Income needed to afford rent: $65,960
How much people actually spend: $56,211
Arkansas
Rent: $934
Income needed to afford rent: $37,360
How much people actually spend: $46,259
California
Rent: $2,179
Income needed to afford rent: $87,160
How much people actually spend: $67,565
Colorado
Rent: $1,857
Income needed to afford rent: $74,280
How much people actually spend: $66,448
Connecticut
Rent: $1,658
Income needed to afford rent: $66,320
How much people actually spend: $66,645
Delaware
Rent: $1,564
Income needed to afford rent: $62,560
How much people actually spend: $60,131
District of Columbia
Rent: $2,366
Income needed to afford rent: $94,640
How much people actually spend: $93,713
Florida
Rent: $1,812
Income needed to afford rent: $72,480
How much people actually spend: $62,618
Georgia
Rent: $1,459
Income needed to afford rent: $58,360
How much people actually spend: $52,806
Hawaii
Rent: $1,953
Income needed to afford rent: $78,120
How much people actually spend: $60,711
Idaho
Rent: $1,275
Income needed to afford rent: $51,000
How much people actually spend: $48,098
Illinois
Rent: $1,333
Income needed to afford rent: $53,320
How much people actually spend: $60,612
Indiana
Rent: $1,132
Income needed to afford rent: $45,280
How much people actually spend: $51,821
Iowa
Rent: $1,132
Income needed to afford rent: $40,120
How much people actually spend: $49,473
Kansas
Rent: $1,082
Income needed to afford rent: $43,280
How much people actually spend: $51,082
Kentucky
Rent: $1,006
Income needed to afford rent: $40,240
How much people actually spend: $48,901
Louisiana
Rent: $1,041
Income needed to afford rent: $41,640
How much people actually spend: $50,454
Maine
Rent: $1,325
Income needed to afford rent: $53,000
How much people actually spend: $63,046
Maryland
Rent: $1,758
Income needed to afford rent: $70,320
How much people actually spend: $58,310
Massachusetts
Rent: $1,962
Income needed to afford rent: $78,480
How much people actually spend: $71,946
Michigan
Rent: $1,200
Income needed to afford rent: $48,000
How much people actually spend: $54,197
Minnesota
Rent: $1,369
Income needed to afford rent: $54,760
How much people actually spend: $58,433
Mississippi
Rent: $963
Income needed to afford rent: $38,520
How much people actually spend: $43,947
Missouri
Rent: $1,057
Income needed to afford rent: $42,280
How much people actually spend: $54,405
Montana
Rent: $1,234
Income needed to afford rent: $49,360
How much people actually spend: $58,499
Nebraska
Rent: $1,092
Income needed to afford rent: $43,680
How much people actually spend: $54,512
Nevada
Rent: $1,646
Income needed to afford rent: $65,840
How much people actually spend: $56,103
New Hampshire
Rent: $1,687
Income needed to afford rent: $67,480
How much people actually spend: $68,900
New Jersey
Rent: $1,885
Income needed to afford rent: $75,400
How much people actually spend: $65,873
New Mexico
Rent: $1,104
Income needed to afford rent: $44,160
How much people actually spend: $48,119
New York
Rent: $1,634
Income needed to afford rent: $65,360
How much people actually spend: $66,426
North Carolina
Rent: $1,277
Income needed to afford rent: $51,080
How much people actually spend: $53,334
North Dakota
Rent: $950
Income needed to afford rent: $38,000
How much people actually spend: $58,090
Ohio
Rent: $1,122
Income needed to afford rent: $44,880
How much people actually spend: $52,708
Oklahoma
Rent: $1,032
Income needed to afford rent: $41,280
How much people actually spend: $46,319
Oregon
Rent: $1,620
Income needed to afford rent: $64,800
How much people actually spend: $58,150
Pennsylvania
Rent: $1,307
Income needed to afford rent: $52,280
How much people actually spend: $59,260
Rhode Island
Rent: $1,624
Income needed to afford rent: $64,960
How much people actually spend: $58,041
South Carolina
Rent: $1,275
Income needed to afford rent: $51,000
How much people actually spend: $51,423
South Dakota
Rent: $1,071
Income needed to afford rent: $42,840
How much people actually spend: $54,100
Tennessee
Rent: $1,225
Income needed to afford rent: $49,000
How much people actually spend: $51,507
Texas
Rent: $1,475
Income needed to afford rent: $59,000
How much people actually spend: $54,060
Utah
Rent: $1,545
Income needed to afford rent: $61,800
How much people actually spend: $52,677
Vermont
Rent: $1,509
Income needed to afford rent: $60,360
How much people actually spend: $62,629
Virginia
Rent: $1,555
Income needed to afford rent: $62,200
How much people actually spend: $58,224
Washington
Rent: $1,837
Income needed to afford rent: $73,480
How much people actually spend: $62,837
West Virginia
Rent: $906
Income needed to afford rent: $36,240
How much people actually spend: $50,286
Wisconsin
Rent: $1,149
Income needed to afford rent: $45,960
How much people actually spend: $54,705
Wyoming
Rent: $972
Income needed to afford rent: $38,880
How much people actually spend: $59,543
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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