Tool · Salary vs rent

Rent Affordability by Salary

Select your job and a county to see how rent compares to your salary. Uses BLS wage data and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY 2026) with the 30% affordability rule.

809
Occupations (BLS OES)
3,145
Counties with FMR data
FY2026
HUD FMR data year

About This Calculator

Salary data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES). When available, state-level median salaries are used; otherwise, national median salaries are shown. Rent data is HUD Fair Market Rents (FY 2026).

The 30% affordability rule is a widely used guideline: spending more than 30% of gross income on rent indicates cost burden. Over 50% indicates severe cost burden.

Sources: BLS OES, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.