City rankings · United States
Most affordable US cities for renters
Ranked by the share of gross income the typical renter spends on a 1-bedroom apartment. Lower is better — it means more of your paycheck stays with you.
Seattle
Median rent $2,300/mo · Need $92,000/yr
28%
Manageable
San Francisco
Median rent $2,900/mo · Need $116,000/yr
30%
Manageable
Chicago
Median rent $1,900/mo · Need $76,000/yr
30%
Manageable
Austin
Median rent $2,000/mo · Need $80,000/yr
30%
Manageable
Denver
Median rent $1,900/mo · Need $76,000/yr
30%
Manageable
Atlanta
Median rent $1,700/mo · Need $68,000/yr
30%
Manageable
Boston
Median rent $2,900/mo · Need $116,000/yr
34%
Manageable
New York
Median rent $3,200/mo · Need $128,000/yr
38%
Stretch
Los Angeles
Median rent $2,700/mo · Need $108,000/yr
38%
Stretch
Miami
Median rent $2,500/mo · Need $100,000/yr
42%
Stretch
Key findings
- Seattle is the most affordable US city at 28% of income, while Miami is the least affordable at 42% — a gap of 14 percentage points.
- 3 cities (New York, Los Angeles, Miami) sit in the “Stretch” or “Risky” tier (35%+), meaning the median renter devotes more than a third of gross income to housing.
- Seattle (#1) and San Francisco (#2) rank better than their sky-high absolute rents might suggest — tech-sector salaries in these metro areas compress the rent-to-income ratio even when nominal rents are among the highest in the country.
How to read this
The % shows the median rent-to-income ratio for renters in each city — based on gross income and typical 1-bedroom rent. Under 25% is comfortable, 25–35% is manageable, 35–45% is a stretch, 45%+ is risky. Click any city for the full breakdown and to check your own salary against local benchmarks.