9 Cities With Affordable Rent for a Couple Earning Minimum Wage

The federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour, a rate that has remained in place since 2009. Although many cities now have minimum wages above this threshold, it’s still hard for Americans across the U.S. to get by on minimum wage. In fact, if you define affordable housing as housing costing 30% of income, there are zero major cities where a single person could afford rent on their own, a new Clever Real Estate study found.

Things aren’t much better if you’re a couple both earning the minimum wage. A pair of full-time workers who are each earning the minimum wage could affordably rent only a one-bedroom apartment in nine of the 50 largest U.S. metros, the study found.

Here’s a look at the only major cities where a couple earning the minimum wage could comfortably afford rent.

• Minimum wage: $15
• Typical one-bedroom rent: $1,001
• Minimum wage needed to afford one-bedroom rent: $19.25

• Minimum wage: $12.30
• Typical one-bedroom rent: $984
• Minimum wage needed to afford one-bedroom rent: $18.92

• Minimum wage: $15.69
• Typical one-bedroom rent: $1,306
• Minimum wage needed to afford one-bedroom rent: $25.12

• Minimum wage: $15.57
• Typical one-bedroom rent: $1,381
• Minimum wage needed to afford one-bedroom rent: $26.56

• Minimum wage: $14
• Typical one-bedroom rent: $1,319
• Minimum wage needed to afford one-bedroom rent: $25.37

• Minimum wage: $10.45
• Typical one-bedroom rent: $993
• Minimum wage needed to afford one-bedroom rent: $19.10

• Minimum wage: $10.45
• Typical one-bedroom rent: $995
• Minimum wage needed to afford one-bedroom rent: $19.13

• Minimum wage: $12.30
• Typical one-bedroom rent: $1,183
• Minimum wage needed to afford one-bedroom rent: $22.75

• Minimum wage: $18.29
• Typical one-bedroom rent: $1,789
• Minimum wage needed to afford one-bedroom rent: $34.40