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 $2,300/mo · Need $92,000/yr

28%

Manageable

San Francisco

Median $2,800/mo · Need $112,000/yr

30%

Manageable

Chicago

Median $2,000/mo · Need $80,000/yr

30%

Manageable

Austin

Median $1,750/mo · Need $70,000/yr

30%

Manageable

Denver

Median $1,900/mo · Need $76,000/yr

30%

Manageable

Atlanta

Median $1,700/mo · Need $68,000/yr

30%

Manageable

Boston

Median $2,900/mo · Need $116,000/yr

34%

Manageable

New York

Median $3,200/mo · Need $128,000/yr

38%

Stretch

Los Angeles

Median $2,700/mo · Need $108,000/yr

38%

Stretch

Miami

Median $2,700/mo · Need $108,000/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.

Also explore

Most affordable cities globally →Most affordable cities in Europe →Most expensive cities for renters →Where can I afford to live on my salary? →