Divide your yearly gross salary by 40. That is the most rent landlords using the 40× rent rule will approve — and it equals the 30% rule (30% of gross monthly pay). For a safer budget, keep rent and utilities near 30% of take-home pay, which this calculator estimates with 2026 federal, FICA and state taxes.
Rent calculator: how much rent can I afford?
Single filer, 2026 standard deduction, wages only; local taxes not included. For exact pay with 401(k) and benefits use the paycheck calculator.
How much rent should I pay? Three rules of thumb
There's no law that sets how much of your income should go to rent, but three rules dominate: the 30% rule (keep rent and utilities at or below 30% of gross income — the same threshold HUD uses to define a "cost-burdened" household), the 40× rent rule landlords use to screen applicants (annual income at least 40 times the monthly rent), and the 50/30/20 budget, which splits take-home pay into needs, wants and savings. The first two always give the same number; the third is stricter because it starts from pay after taxes.
Each guide below works through all three for one salary or hourly wage, using 2026 federal tax brackets and FICA, a no-income-tax state alongside California and New York, and HUD's Fair Market Rents for big metros to show what that budget actually rents — a studio, a one-bedroom, or a room with roommates.
How much rent can I afford by salary (2026)
| Salary | Gross / mo | 30% rule · 40× | 3× rule | Take-home / mo* | 30% of take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $2,500 | $750 | $833 | $2,190 | $657 |
| $35,000 | $2,917 | $875 | $972 | $2,525 | $758 |
| $40,000 | $3,333 | $1,000 | $1,111 | $2,860 | $858 |
| $45,000 | $3,750 | $1,125 | $1,250 | $3,195 | $958 |
| $50,000 | $4,167 | $1,250 | $1,389 | $3,530 | $1,059 |
| $55,000 | $4,583 | $1,375 | $1,528 | $3,864 | $1,159 |
| $60,000 | $5,000 | $1,500 | $1,667 | $4,199 | $1,260 |
| $65,000 | $5,417 | $1,625 | $1,806 | $4,534 | $1,360 |
| $70,000 | $5,833 | $1,750 | $1,944 | $4,840 | $1,452 |
| $75,000 | $6,250 | $1,875 | $2,083 | $5,133 | $1,540 |
| $80,000 | $6,667 | $2,000 | $2,222 | $5,426 | $1,628 |
| $85,000 | $7,083 | $2,125 | $2,361 | $5,719 | $1,716 |
| $90,000 | $7,500 | $2,250 | $2,500 | $6,012 | $1,804 |
| $95,000 | $7,917 | $2,375 | $2,639 | $6,305 | $1,892 |
| $100,000 | $8,333 | $2,500 | $2,778 | $6,598 | $1,979 |
| $110,000 | $9,167 | $2,750 | $3,056 | $7,185 | $2,155 |
| $120,000 | $10,000 | $3,000 | $3,333 | $7,771 | $2,331 |
| $130,000 | $10,833 | $3,250 | $3,611 | $8,343 | $2,503 |
| $140,000 | $11,667 | $3,500 | $3,889 | $8,913 | $2,674 |
| $150,000 | $12,500 | $3,750 | $4,167 | $9,483 | $2,845 |
| $175,000 | $14,583 | $4,375 | $4,861 | $10,907 | $3,272 |
| $200,000 | $16,667 | $5,000 | $5,556 | $12,411 | $3,723 |
*No-income-tax state (e.g. Texas, Florida, Washington), single filer, 2026 federal tax + FICA.
Check your real take-home payYour 401(k), health premiums, filing status and state change what's left for rent. Plug them into the paycheck calculator, then use the rent calculator on our hub.
How much rent can I afford making $X an hour
| Hourly wage | Yearly (2,080 hrs) | 30% rule · 40× | 30% of take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15/hour | $31,200 | $780 | $681 |
| $17/hour | $35,360 | $884 | $765 |
| $18/hour | $37,440 | $936 | $807 |
| $20/hour | $41,600 | $1,040 | $890 |
| $22/hour | $45,760 | $1,144 | $974 |
| $25/hour | $52,000 | $1,300 | $1,099 |
| $28/hour | $58,240 | $1,456 | $1,224 |
| $30/hour | $62,400 | $1,560 | $1,308 |
| $35/hour | $72,800 | $1,820 | $1,501 |
| $40/hour | $83,200 | $2,080 | $1,684 |
| $45/hour | $93,600 | $2,340 | $1,867 |
| $50/hour | $104,000 | $2,600 | $2,050 |
Salary needed to rent in 13 major cities (HUD FY2027)
Income needed to pass the 40× rule for a typical apartment, based on HUD Fair Market Rents effective October 1, 2026. Splitting a two-bedroom with one roommate halves the income each person needs.
| Metro | 1BR FMR | Salary for 1BR (40×) | Hourly for 1BR | 2BR FMR | Each of 2 roommates (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $3,003 | $120,120 | $57.75 | $3,697 | $73,940 |
| New York City | $2,729 | $109,160 | $52.48 | $2,971 | $59,420 |
| Boston | $2,518 | $100,720 | $48.42 | $3,008 | $60,160 |
| Los Angeles | $2,402 | $96,080 | $46.19 | $2,964 | $59,280 |
| Washington, D.C. | $2,204 | $88,160 | $42.38 | $2,438 | $48,760 |
| Seattle | $2,180 | $87,200 | $41.92 | $2,549 | $50,980 |
| Miami | $2,121 | $84,840 | $40.79 | $2,564 | $51,280 |
| Denver | $1,831 | $73,240 | $35.21 | $2,169 | $43,380 |
| Chicago | $1,780 | $71,200 | $34.23 | $2,011 | $40,220 |
| Atlanta | $1,619 | $64,760 | $31.13 | $1,762 | $35,240 |
| Dallas | $1,536 | $61,440 | $29.54 | $1,807 | $36,140 |
| Phoenix | $1,493 | $59,720 | $28.71 | $1,734 | $34,680 |
| Houston | $1,261 | $50,440 | $24.25 | $1,497 | $29,940 |
Approximate: HUD FY2027 metro Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent). Neighborhood rents vary widely.
Rent guides by salary
- How much rent can I afford on $30,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $35,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $40,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $45,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $50,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $55,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $60,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $65,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $70,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $75,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $80,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $85,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $90,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $95,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $100,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $110,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $120,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $130,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $140,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $150,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $175,000 a year?
- How much rent can I afford on $200,000 a year?
Rent guides by hourly wage
- How much rent can I afford making $15 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $17 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $18 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $20 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $22 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $25 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $28 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $30 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $35 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $40 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $45 an hour?
- How much rent can I afford making $50 an hour?
More tools
Frequently asked questions
How much rent can I afford?
A common rule is 30% of gross income: divide your annual salary by 40 to get a monthly rent ceiling (for example $60,000 ÷ 40 = $1,500). For a safer budget, use 30% of take-home pay instead.
What is the 40x rent rule?
Many landlords require your annual gross income to be at least 40 times the monthly rent. A $2,000 apartment needs $80,000 a year. It is mathematically the same as the 30% rule. Guarantors are usually asked for 80 times the rent.
What is the 3x rent rule?
Some landlords instead require monthly gross income of at least three times the rent, which allows rent up to about 33% of gross pay — slightly looser than the 40x rule.
How much rent can I afford on $60k?
About $1,500 a month by the 30% rule and 40x rule. With 2026 federal taxes, take-home in a no-income-tax state is about $4,199 a month, so 30% of take-home is about $1,260.
What salary do I need for a $2,000 apartment?
Under the 40x rule, $80,000 a year ($38.46 an hour full-time). Under the 3x rule, $72,000 a year.
Does the 30% rule include utilities?
Housing-cost guidelines such as HUD's cost-burden measure count rent plus utilities (gross rent). Landlords usually test only the base rent, so leave room for utilities in your own budget.
Sources & assumptions
- Federal tax: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets; $16,100 single standard deduction). Social Security 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500 (SSA); Medicare 1.45%, plus 0.9% over $200,000 (IRS Topic 560). Same engine as our paycheck calculator.
- State tax examples (California, New York): Hong Life state engine based on Tax Foundation 2026 state rates and state revenue departments; local taxes such as New York City's 3.078%–3.876% are not included.
- Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), FY2027 Fair Market Rents, effective October 1, 2026 (notice published September 1, 2026; huduser.gov). FMRs are 40th-percentile gross rents (rent + utilities) for standard-quality units across a whole metro FMR area — treat them as approximate benchmarks, not asking rents.
- U.S. median gross rent $1,487: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, table B25064.
- Rules of thumb (30% rule, 40× rule, 3× rule, 50/30/20) are budgeting guidelines and common landlord screening practices, not laws; each landlord sets its own criteria.