Fair Market Rent Outpaces Low Wages
This chart provides the dollar amount required per hour that a low-wage worker must earn to afford the fair market rent (FMR) for a one- or two-bedroom apartment in a given state in the United States.
|
Hourly Wage Needed to
Afford Fair Market Rent
(@ 40 hrs/wk)
|
FMR by Number
of Bedrooms
|
| State |
1 BR FMR |
2 BR FMR |
1 BR FMR |
2 BR FMR |
| Alabama |
$7.07 |
$8.48 |
$368 |
$441 |
| Alaska* |
$11.73 |
$14.99 |
$610 |
$779 |
| Arizona |
$9.26 |
$11.79 |
$482 |
$613 |
| Arkansas |
$6.56 |
$8.22 |
$341 |
$427 |
| California* |
$11.87 |
$14.90 |
$617 |
$775 |
| Colorado |
$9.47 |
$12.38 |
$492 |
$644 |
| Connecticut* |
$11.82 |
$14.74 |
$615 |
$767 |
| Delaware |
$10.66 |
$12.50 |
$554 |
$650 |
| District of Columbia* |
$13.44 |
$15.77 |
$699 |
$820 |
| Florida |
$9.85 |
$12.08 |
$512 |
$628 |
| Georgia |
$9.35 |
$11.02 |
$486 |
$573 |
| Hawaii* |
$14.39 |
$17.01 |
$748 |
$884 |
| Idaho |
$7.20 |
$9.13 |
$374 |
$475 |
| Illinois |
$10.38 |
$12.58 |
$540 |
$654 |
| Indiana |
$7.93 |
$9.90 |
$413 |
$515 |
| Iowa |
$7.16 |
$8.97 |
$372 |
$466 |
| Kansas |
$7.20 |
$9.18 |
$374 |
$477 |
| Kentucky |
$6.89 |
$8.55 |
$358 |
$445 |
| Louisiana |
$7.18 |
$8.94 |
$373 |
$465 |
| Maine |
$8.24 |
$10.61 |
$429 |
$552 |
| Maryland |
$11.04 |
$13.25 |
$574 |
$689 |
| Massachusetts* |
$12.12 |
$15.26 |
$630 |
$793 |
| Michigan |
$9.08 |
$11.18 |
$472 |
$581 |
| Minnesota |
$8.91 |
$11.37 |
$463 |
$591 |
| Mississippi |
$6.60 |
$8.07 |
$343 |
$420 |
| Missouri |
$7.01 |
$8.89 |
$364 |
$463 |
| Montana |
$7.01 |
$9.29 |
$364 |
$483 |
| Nebraska |
$7.40 |
$9.45 |
$385 |
$491 |
| Nevada |
$10.83 |
$13.24 |
$563 |
$688 |
| New Hampshire |
$10.32 |
$13.14 |
$536 |
$683 |
| New Jersey |
$13.13 |
$15.90 |
$683 |
$827 |
| New Mexico |
$7.95 |
$9.96 |
$414 |
$518 |
| New York |
$13.68 |
$15.87 |
$711 |
$825 |
| North Carolina |
$8.44 |
$9.98 |
$439 |
$519 |
| North Dakota |
$7.00 |
$8.82 |
$358 |
$459 |
| Ohio |
$7.96 |
$10.10 |
$414 |
$525 |
| Oklahoma |
$6.64 |
$8.54 |
$345 |
$444 |
| Oregon* |
$9.08 |
$11.48 |
$472 |
$597 |
| Pennsylvania |
$9.09 |
$11.13 |
$473 |
$579 |
| Rhode Island |
$10.72 |
$12.94 |
$558 |
$673 |
| South Carolina |
$8.11 |
$9.44 |
$422 |
$491 |
| South Dakota |
$7.36 |
$9.33 |
$383 |
$485 |
| Tennessee |
$7.74 |
$9.50 |
$403 |
$494 |
| Texas |
$8.67 |
$11.08 |
$451 |
$576 |
| Utah |
$9.11 |
$11.49 |
$474 |
$598 |
| Vermont |
$9.12 |
$11.67 |
$474 |
$607 |
| Virginia |
$10.04 |
$11.88 |
$522 |
$618 |
| Washington |
$9.83 |
$12.47 |
$511 |
$648 |
| West Virginia |
$6.68 |
$8.02 |
$347 |
$417 |
| Wisconsin |
$8.30 |
$10.44 |
$432 |
$543 |
| Wyoming |
$7.12 |
$9.25
 |
$370 |
$481 |
Source: "Out of Reach," National Low Income Housing Coalition, September 1999
*Because the federal minimum wage is higher in these states, FMRs have been adjusted
to reflect those amounts.
Reprinted from Habitat World Magazine, February/March 2000.
This article may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
©2000 Habitat for Humanity International
