Mapping the hourly wage needed to rent a 2-bed apartment in every state

[Pete]

A New Study Maps How Much Income You Need to Rent a 2-Bedroom Apartment - CityLab

[jerrywall]

I have to say... who rents a 2 bed apartment as a sole wage earner on minimum wage? My first place, I had a room mate.

My 16 yo son got hired at pizza hut yesterday, and they're paying him over minimum wage... it short of shocked me.

[Pete]

I have to say... who rents a 2 bed apartment as a sole wage earner on minimum wage? My first place, I had a room mate.

TONS of people.

Millions in Southern California alone.

[bradh]

TONS of people.

Millions in Southern California alone.

is that because of availability, vanity, or what? i couldn't afford a two bedroom apartment alone when I lived in Arizona out of college

[jerrywall]

Even in Oklahoma I had to have roommates.

[Pete]

is that because of availability, vanity, or what? i couldn't afford a two bedroom apartment alone when I lived in Arizona out of college

It's because most these people have families.

[Martin]

[Teo9969]

Keep in mind those state numbers tick upwards in metropolitan areas.

If you divide those numbers by 2, then you see the wage necessary for 2 roommates to get a place. Looks very manageable here. Looks a little more difficult in D.C.

That being said…this should be very doable in all these markets for any pair of working single people or for a working couple with one or two children.

Single parent homes are KILLER though. Even if both parents are involved, adding a second set of living expenses to the "family" budget makes it so much harder.

[bradh]

It's because most these people have families.

Sorry, I read his original post as someone living alone and living in a two bedroom apartment.

[jerrywall]

It's because most these people have families.

So one parent doesn't work? Must be nice. The closest we came to that was my wife running a home daycare. Obviously a single parent home is a bit different, but that's why we have a social safety net.

[Pete]

So one parent doesn't work? Must be nice. The closest we came to that was my wife running a home daycare. Obviously a single parent home is a bit different, but that's why we have a social safety net.

Many, many, many single parent households.

[jerrywall]

Yeah, in that case I understand the difficulties.

[tfvc.org]

So one parent doesn't work? Must be nice. The closest we came to that was my wife running a home daycare. Obviously a single parent home is a bit different, but that's why we have a social safety net.

Problem is there are a lot of people out there who don't qualify for the social safety net. They make more than what those programs will allow but not enough to pay rent,bills, ect. I have a friend who is doing well now, but had to manage how much money she made, she has had to refuse overtime, because it would put her in that black hole. It took her a very long time to get herself on her own two feet and I think that if she didn't risk losing assistance by working more hours or a second job she could have gotten off of assistance a lot sooner.

[zookeeper]

Problem is there are a lot of people out there who don't qualify for the social safety net. They make more than what those programs will allow but not enough to pay rent,bills, ect. I have a friend who is doing well now, but had to manage how much money she made, she has had to refuse overtime, because it would put her in that black hole. It took her a very long time to get herself on her own two feet and I think that if she didn't risk losing assistance by working more hours or a second job she could have gotten off of assistance a lot sooner.

Yes, many are actually punished for working. Single parents trying to make it today are up against the wall. Day care can wipe out the paycheck as fast as the rent or the utilities or the gasoline or (whatever). Other western industrialized nations manage to see this as a societal problem and nobody bats an eyelash. You tell people in many parts of Europe that we have for-profit day care for little children and they shake their heads. It's not a right/wrong thing, it's just different cultures that are used to how things are.

[venture]

Here is something a bit more telling on the last part of the article. How many hours per week at minimum wage a person has to work to afford a one bedroom apartment...

[Spartan]

I have to say... who rents a 2 bed apartment as a sole wage earner on minimum wage? My first place, I had a room mate.

My 16 yo son got hired at pizza hut yesterday, and they're paying him over minimum wage... it short of shocked me.

Min wage is what 7.80? So a lot of employers just give em 8 to boost morale (at least that was my experience in college). That is functionally min wage.

As for who does anything? A lot of people are saddled with kids way too early in life, so I would imagine that's the crack in the system in which a lot of min-wage parents fall. There are others who legitimately need assistance as well, but those households with children especially need support or else you'll never break the cycle of poverty.

IMO it just isn't responsible to have kids until you're netting at least 60K HH (which is roughly the national per capita these days).