The Salary You Need to Live Alone in Every Major U.S. City

Living in an exciting urban environment is a priority for a lot of people, but the prospect of swinging rent in a major city without the help of a roommate can be daunting. If you’re wondering what it takes to be able to afford to live alone in one of the top 20 populated cities in the United States, check out this list, which provides the yearly salary needed to afford the average rent for both a one-bedroom and a studio apartment in each city. The salary needed is calculated based upon the guideline that your gross annual income should be 40 times your monthly rent. Also, keep in mind that in most cities, on average, studios are more expensive than one-bedrooms since they tend to be placed in higher density areas.

Average studio rent: $2,800; Salary needed: $112,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $2,450; Salary needed: $98,000

Average studio rent: $1,970; Salary needed: $78,800
Average one-bedroom rent: $2,390; Salary needed: $95,600

Average studio rent: $1,450; Salary needed: $58,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,630; Salary needed: $65,200

Average studio rent: $1,310; Salary needed: $52,400
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,550; Salary needed: $62,000

Average studio rent: $1,600: Salary needed: $64,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,500; Salary needed: $60,000

Average studio rent: $1,500; Salary needed: $60,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,160; Salary needed: $46,400

Average studio rent: $1,090; Salary needed: $43,600
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,000; Salary needed: $40,000

Average studio rent: $1,850; Salary needed: $74,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $2,050; Salary needed: $82,000

Average studio rent: $1,250; Salary needed: $50,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,360; Salary needed: $54,400

Average studio rent: $3,500; Salary needed: $140,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $2,680; Salary needed: $107,200

Average studio rent: $1,750; Salary needed: $70,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,350; Salary needed: $54,000

Average studio rent: $1,300; Salary needed: $52,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,140; Salary needed: $45,600

Average studio rent: $4,650; Salary needed: $186,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $3,640 Salary needed: $145,600

Average studio rent: No data available
Average one-bedroom rent: $850; Salary needed: $34,000

Average studio rent: $850; Salary needed: $34,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $920; Salary needed: $36,800

Average studio rent: $1,280; Salary needed: $51,200
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,300; Salary needed: $52,000

Average studio rent: $1,320; Salary needed: $52,800
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,320; Salary needed: $52,800

Average studio rent: $1,550; Salary needed: $62,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $2,050; Salary needed: $82,000

Average studio rent: $1,460; Salary needed: $58,400
Average one-bedroom rent: $1,720; Salary needed: $68,000

Average studio rent: $1,000; Salary needed: $40,000
Average one-bedroom rent: $730; Salary needed: $29,200

The average rent for a studio and one-bedroom in each city was taken from listing price data compiled by Zillow for June 2019.

Updated August 9, 2019—LS

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