Landlords often ask for income of about three times the rent. That's the federal housing affordability line written another way. The Department of Housing and Urban Development counts a household as cost-burdened when housing takes more than 30% of its gross income, and severely cost-burdened above 50%. Thirty percent of income means rent of one-third of what you earn, roughly the landlord's three-times rule.
So what income keeps typical rent at or under 30% in big US cities? Multiply a year of rent by 100/30.
The income each city's typical rent implies
| City | Typical asking rent | Income for rent to be 30% |
|---|---|---|
| Tucson, AZ | $1,060 | $42,400 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $1,210 | $48,400 |
| Detroit, MI | $1,245 | $49,800 |
| Columbus, OH | $1,335 | $53,400 |
| Memphis, TN | $1,370 | $54,800 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $1,430 | $57,200 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,445 | $57,800 |
| Dallas, TX | $1,455 | $58,200 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $1,475 | $59,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,515 | $60,600 |
| Louisville, KY | $1,555 | $62,200 |
| San Antonio, TX | $1,570 | $62,800 |
| Portland, OR | $1,585 | $63,400 |
| Baltimore, MD | $1,640 | $65,600 |
| Austin, TX | $1,705 | $68,200 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $1,740 | $69,600 |
| Charlotte, NC | $1,790 | $71,600 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $1,790 | $71,600 |
| Houston, TX | $1,880 | $75,200 |
| Fresno, CA | $1,890 | $75,600 |
| Seattle, WA | $1,895 | $75,800 |
| Denver, CO | $1,895 | $75,800 |
| Sacramento, CA | $2,035 | $81,400 |
| Chicago, IL | $2,125 | $85,000 |
| Nashville, TN | $2,150 | $86,000 |
| Washington, DC | $2,465 | $98,600 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $2,505 | $100,200 |
| Boston, MA | $3,050 | $122,000 |
| San Diego, CA | $3,190 | $127,600 |
| New York, NY | $3,690 | $147,600 |
The spread is wide. Typical rent in Tucson, AZ fits a $42,400 income; in New York, NY the same rule needs $147,600. 9 of the 30 cities sit under $60,000, and 4 need $100,000 or more.
What "typical rent" means here
These are asking rents on active listings: what's on the market now, not what sitting tenants pay. Typical is a listing-weighted average of each sampled ZIP code's median, so it blends studios with family homes. If you need a specific size, rent by bedroom count is on each city's rent forecast page, and the rent by bedroom post compares them across cities.
The 30% line is a guideline, not a law
HUD's own researchers have noted the rule's weakness: a fixed percentage ignores what's left after rent. Someone earning $200,000 can spend 40% on housing and still have plenty left. Someone earning $40,000 can struggle at 30%. HUD's definition also counts utilities as housing cost, and these rents don't include them, so the true line sits a little higher than the table shows.
Use it as a quick check:
- Under 30%: comfortable by the federal measure.
- 30% to 50%: cost-burdened. Workable for some households, tight for most.
- Over 50%: severely cost-burdened. One surprise expense becomes a problem.
Rent is moving, too
Rent is falling in 25 of these 30 cities, so the income needed is drifting down in most of them. See the rent forecast by city for each city's trend, or get a forecast for your ZIP code and home size with Predictye Rent.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, definition of cost-burdened households (more than 30% of income on housing; severely cost-burdened above 50%).
- City figures are RentCast market data for each city's most populous ZIP codes, as of October 14, 2026, counting only ZIP codes with at least 20 active listings. They're averages of ZIP medians, not appraisals.
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