However, that's not feasible for workers earning the minimum wage in many large U.S. cities, according to a recent Clever Real Estate report.
In seven major cities, you'd need to earn more than quadruple the federal minimum wage of $7.25 to afford the fair market rent without spending more than 30% of your income on housing or working a second job, Clever found.
To determine the minimum wage needed to afford a fair market priced rental in the 50 largest U.S. metros, the report analyzed wage and housing data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Clever follows HUD's definition of fair market rent, which is the price at which 60% of similar units in the area rent for more than the listed amount and 40% rent for less.
Here are seven major U.S. metros where workers would need to make quadruple the minimum wage in order to comfortably afford rent, according to Clever Real Estate.
Persons:
Clever
Organizations:
U.S, metros, U.S . Department of Labor, Department of Housing, Urban
Locations:
U.S