Hourly wages needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment in the U.S. 2023, by state
In 2023, households in California needed an hourly wage of over 42 U.S. dollars to afford the rent of a two-bedroom apartment. Hawaii had the second-least affordable two-bedroom apartments, as a household would have to earn at least 42 U.S. dollars per hour in order to afford rent payments. These figures are considerably higher than the average minimum wage in place in many states. There was no state in which a minimum wageworker could afford rent for the average two-bedroom apartment, if they only worked 40 hours a week.
Where are the least affordable counties and metros?
The least affordable rents were predominately in Californian counties and metropolitan areas in 2023. California has one of the highest minimum wages in the country, which stood at 15 U.S. dollars per hour as of January 2023. Thus, the affordability of two-bedroom apartments highlights how disproportionately high housing costs are in the state.