Not according to the national low income housing coalitions report. For those thinking the simple solution would be to make do with a onebedroom apartment, the outlook there isnt much rosier. A minimumwage worker cant afford a 2bedroom apartment. In new jersey, the higher minimum wage wouldnt help you get your own place. How much do you need to earn to rent an apartment in each. But even with recent wage growth for the lowestpaid workers, there is still nowhere in the country where someone working a fulltime minimumwage job could afford to rent a modest twobedroom apartment, according to an annual report released wednesday by the national lowincome housing coalition.
In some states, minimum wage workers would have to work well over 90 hours in order to afford an average one bedroom. Its next to impossible to pay the rent working full time for minimum. Minimum wage workers cannot afford 2bedroom rental anywhere in. The study found that minimum wage workers are only able to afford a one bedroom apartment in 22 of 3,000 counties. Minimum wage workers cant afford twobedroom apartments. States where minimum wage covers the rent cbs news. In only 22 counties out of more than 3,000 counties nationwide can a fulltime minimum wage worker afford a onebedroom rental home at fair market rent. The national low income housing coalition found that nowhere is a twobedroom affordable in the u. It assumes two minimum wage earners share a two bedroom, three minimum wage earners share a three bedroom apartment, so right off the bat it assumes that you have no kids and live with roommates. About out of reach national low income housing coalition.
Can you afford a one bedroom apartment on minimum wage. A lowincome worker earning the federal minimum wage would need 2. A minimum wage worker would have to put in lots of overtime to be able to afford a modest, two bedroom apartment anywhere in the country. The minimum wage required to afford an average apartment. The percentage of american fulltime minimum wage workers who can afford to rent a one bedroom apartment in any u. Minimum wage workers cant afford 2bedroom home citylab. Rent affordability on minimum wage the new york times. In west virginia, your best bet is the condo in wheeling mentioned earlier. Even with rising minimum wages and a booming economy, there is nowhere in the u. A fulltime minimum wage isnt enough money to rent an averagely priced onebedroom home anywhere in the u.
In texas, a minimum wage worker needs to put in 73 hours a week to afford a onebedroom unit. A minimumwage worker cant afford a typical onebedroom apartment on a single fulltime job in 31 oregon counties. In virginia, for example, a household would have to work 128 hours a week at the states minimum wage or 3. The report found that minimum wage will cover a onebedroom apartment in just 20 counties nationwide on such a budget. The canadian centre for policy alternatives found such a worker could afford the average onebedroom rental rate in 9 per cent of 795. Illinois national low income housing coalition nlihc. It shows that there isnt a single state in the country where its possible to work 40 hours per week at minimum wage and afford a twobedroom apartment at fair market rent. The minimum wage has never afforded a two bed apartment so. At minimum wage, rent for one bedroom apartment requires. How many hours making minimum wage to rent an apartment. A fulltime minimumwage job wont get you a 1bedroom.
Minimum wage workers cannot afford 2bedroom rental. Oor19 shows how difficult it is for renters in illinois to find affordable housing. Minimum wage is way too low for rental rates in massachusetts. A minimumwage worker would have to put in lots of overtime to be able to afford a modest, twobedroom apartment anywhere in the country. The map shows that workers making the minimum wage and working a 40hour week would not be able to afford a one bedroom apartment in any state without paying more than 30 percent of their income. Hourly pay to afford onebedroom rent is more than double. To rent a onebedroom at minimum wage, youd need to work 67 hours a week.
Minimumwage workers cant afford typical 1bedroom apartment in. Affordable rental housing is nearly nonexistent for minimumwage. Many minimum wage workers cant even afford a modest one bedroom apartment, according to the national low income housing coalitions annual report. Nowhere in america can fulltime minimum wage worker. Yet another report on the high cost of housing in metro atlanta, this one released wednesday, shows that a person earning minimum wage would have to work 87. The reports central statistic, the housing wage, is an estimate of the hourly. Hourly pay to afford a 2bedroom apartment is triple the.
For the overwhelming majority, not even sharing a dual income with a federal minimum wageearning partner would cover a twobedroom rental in their state. Even in the most affordable states in the country, a minimum wage job leaves workers unable to rent a small apartment. The preface to the report, penned by oregon governor kate brown, reads in part. How much rent can americans afford on minimum wage. A one bedroom apartment is cheaper, but still, its well above the minimum wage workers salary. All of those counties are located in five states where the minimum wage is. Minimum wage doesnt cover the rent anywhere in the u. Even more alarming, the report finds that the housing wage the hourly rate needed to afford a particular type of housing working 40 hours per week for a. The best cities to be a minimum wage worker forbes. Heres how much you would need to afford rent in your state. In the district of columbia, its a solid 100 hours.
Minimum wage not enough to afford a onebedroom apartment. Where minimum wage earners can find affordable apartments. Twobedroom apartments are out of reach for minimum wage. The percentage of american fulltime minimumwage workers who can afford to rent a onebedroom apartment in any u.
Even onebedroom apartments are mostly out of reach. Minimum wage wont let you afford a 2bedroom rental. According to a new report by the national low income housing coalition, hourly wage workers need to make three times the minumum wage. At federal minimum wage, the average american worker would need to log 117hour weeks for 52 weeks per year to afford a twobedroom apartment or rental home, according to the report. Wonkblog claims minimum wage workers cant afford a 2bedroom apartment anywhere. Full time minimum wage workers cant afford the rent on a.
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