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60 metros · Zillow ZORI · Aug 2026

Rent vs. take-home pay, city by city

Median rent against local take-home pay for 60 metros. Rent is measured (Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026); take-home pay is the same engine used everywhere on this site, on a $100,000 single-filer salary in that city's state.

Rent source: Zillow ZORI (Aug 2026) Cheapest: Louisville $1,348 Priciest: San Jose $3,815 60 cities with a full page

Rent as a share of take-home pay

Annual rent divided by local take-home pay on $100,000 (adjusted for high-rent states). 30% is the usual affordability line.

10 cheapest cities

10 most expensive cities

Cities by region

Grouped by Census region. The badge shows rent as a share of take-home pay for that city's state.

Northeast · 10 cities

Boston

$3,074 /month rent
$36,888 annual rent · 50% of take-home · MA

Bridgeport

$2,890 /month rent
$34,680 annual rent · 47% of take-home · CT

Buffalo

20% of pay
$1,449 /month rent
$17,388 annual rent · 23% of take-home · NY

Hartford

33% of pay
$2,034 /month rent
$24,408 annual rent · 33% of take-home · CT

New York

$3,615 /month rent
$43,380 annual rent · 58% of take-home · NY

Philadelphia

30% of pay
$1,911 /month rent
$22,932 annual rent · 30% of take-home · PA

Pittsburgh

23% of pay
$1,469 /month rent
$17,628 annual rent · 23% of take-home · PA

Providence

35% of pay
$2,167 /month rent
$26,004 annual rent · 35% of take-home · RI

Rochester

21% of pay
$1,536 /month rent
$18,432 annual rent · 25% of take-home · NY

Worcester

30% of pay
$2,124 /month rent
$25,488 annual rent · 34% of take-home · MA

Midwest · 12 cities

Chicago

36% of pay
$2,210 /month rent
$26,520 annual rent · 36% of take-home · IL

Cincinnati

24% of pay
$1,522 /month rent
$18,264 annual rent · 24% of take-home · OH

Cleveland

23% of pay
$1,454 /month rent
$17,448 annual rent · 23% of take-home · OH

Columbus

24% of pay
$1,521 /month rent
$18,252 annual rent · 24% of take-home · OH

Detroit

24% of pay
$1,524 /month rent
$18,288 annual rent · 24% of take-home · MI

Grand Rapids

26% of pay
$1,631 /month rent
$19,572 annual rent · 26% of take-home · MI

Indianapolis

24% of pay
$1,552 /month rent
$18,624 annual rent · 24% of take-home · IN

Kansas City

25% of pay
$1,529 /month rent
$18,348 annual rent · 25% of take-home · MO

Milwaukee

25% of pay
$1,563 /month rent
$18,756 annual rent · 25% of take-home · WI

Minneapolis

28% of pay
$1,719 /month rent
$20,628 annual rent · 28% of take-home · MN

Omaha

23% of pay
$1,413 /month rent
$16,956 annual rent · 23% of take-home · NE

St. Louis

23% of pay
$1,443 /month rent
$17,316 annual rent · 23% of take-home · MO

South · 23 cities

Atlanta

30% of pay
$1,853 /month rent
$22,236 annual rent · 30% of take-home · GA

Austin

25% of pay
$1,622 /month rent
$19,464 annual rent · 25% of take-home · TX

Baltimore

31% of pay
$1,948 /month rent
$23,376 annual rent · 32% of take-home · MD

Birmingham

23% of pay
$1,433 /month rent
$17,196 annual rent · 23% of take-home · AL

Charlotte

28% of pay
$1,749 /month rent
$20,988 annual rent · 28% of take-home · NC

Dallas

25% of pay
$1,659 /month rent
$19,908 annual rent · 25% of take-home · TX

Greenville

26% of pay
$1,569 /month rent
$18,828 annual rent · 26% of take-home · SC

Houston

25% of pay
$1,643 /month rent
$19,716 annual rent · 25% of take-home · TX

Jacksonville

26% of pay
$1,696 /month rent
$20,352 annual rent · 26% of take-home · FL

Louisville

22% of pay
$1,348 /month rent
$16,176 annual rent · 22% of take-home · KY

Memphis

21% of pay
$1,400 /month rent
$16,800 annual rent · 21% of take-home · TN

Miami

$2,666 /month rent
$31,992 annual rent · 40% of take-home · FL

Nashville

27% of pay
$1,813 /month rent
$21,756 annual rent · 27% of take-home · TN

New Orleans

25% of pay
$1,598 /month rent
$19,176 annual rent · 25% of take-home · LA

Oklahoma City

22% of pay
$1,388 /month rent
$16,656 annual rent · 22% of take-home · OK

Orlando

29% of pay
$1,942 /month rent
$23,304 annual rent · 29% of take-home · FL

Raleigh

27% of pay
$1,675 /month rent
$20,100 annual rent · 27% of take-home · NC

Richmond

28% of pay
$1,729 /month rent
$20,748 annual rent · 28% of take-home · VA

San Antonio

22% of pay
$1,422 /month rent
$17,064 annual rent · 22% of take-home · TX

Tampa

30% of pay
$2,001 /month rent
$24,012 annual rent · 30% of take-home · FL

Tulsa

22% of pay
$1,382 /month rent
$16,584 annual rent · 22% of take-home · OK

Virginia Beach

30% of pay
$1,891 /month rent
$22,692 annual rent · 30% of take-home · VA

Washington

37% of pay
$2,433 /month rent
$29,196 annual rent · 40% of take-home · DC

West · 15 cities

Denver

29% of pay
$1,922 /month rent
$23,064 annual rent · 31% of take-home · CO

Fresno

28% of pay
$2,044 /month rent
$24,528 annual rent · 33% of take-home · CA

Las Vegas

26% of pay
$1,742 /month rent
$20,904 annual rent · 26% of take-home · NV

Los Angeles

$2,941 /month rent
$35,292 annual rent · 48% of take-home · CA

Phoenix

27% of pay
$1,722 /month rent
$20,664 annual rent · 27% of take-home · AZ

Portland

30% of pay
$1,818 /month rent
$21,816 annual rent · 30% of take-home · OR

Riverside

35% of pay
$2,541 /month rent
$30,492 annual rent · 41% of take-home · CA

Sacramento

31% of pay
$2,282 /month rent
$27,384 annual rent · 37% of take-home · CA

Salt Lake City

26% of pay
$1,641 /month rent
$19,692 annual rent · 26% of take-home · UT

San Diego

$2,994 /month rent
$35,928 annual rent · 49% of take-home · CA

San Francisco

$3,409 /month rent
$40,908 annual rent · 55% of take-home · CA

San Jose

$3,815 /month rent
$45,780 annual rent · 62% of take-home · CA

Seattle

32% of pay
$2,278 /month rent
$27,336 annual rent · 35% of take-home · WA

Tucson

23% of pay
$1,483 /month rent
$17,796 annual rent · 23% of take-home · AZ

Urban Honolulu

$3,020 /month rent
$36,240 annual rent · 50% of take-home · HI

All 60 metros, priciest first

Median asking rent, annualised, and what that means against local take-home pay.

CityRent / monthRent / yearShare of take-home
San Jose, CA $3,815 $45,780 52.5%
New York, NY $3,615 $43,380 50.4%
San Francisco, CA $3,409 $40,908 47.0%
Boston, MA $3,074 $36,888 43.6%
Urban Honolulu, HI $3,020 $36,240 40.6%
San Diego, CA $2,994 $35,928 41.2%
Los Angeles, CA $2,941 $35,292 40.5%
Bridgeport, CT $2,890 $34,680 46.8%
Miami, FL $2,666 $31,992 40.4%
Riverside, CA $2,541 $30,492 35.0%
Washington, DC $2,433 $29,196 36.5%
Sacramento, CA $2,282 $27,384 31.4%
Seattle, WA $2,278 $27,336 32.0%
Chicago, IL $2,210 $26,520 35.7%
Providence, RI $2,167 $26,004 35.1%
Worcester, MA $2,124 $25,488 30.1%
Fresno, CA $2,044 $24,528 28.2%
Hartford, CT $2,034 $24,408 32.9%
Tampa, FL $2,001 $24,012 30.3%
Baltimore, MD $1,948 $23,376 30.6%
Orlando, FL $1,942 $23,304 29.4%
Denver, CO $1,922 $23,064 29.4%
Philadelphia, PA $1,911 $22,932 30.1%
Virginia Beach, VA $1,891 $22,692 30.4%
Atlanta, GA $1,853 $22,236 30.1%
Portland, OR $1,818 $21,816 29.6%
Nashville, TN $1,813 $21,756 27.5%
Charlotte, NC $1,749 $20,988 28.0%
Las Vegas, NV $1,742 $20,904 26.4%
Richmond, VA $1,729 $20,748 27.8%
Phoenix, AZ $1,722 $20,664 26.9%
Minneapolis, MN $1,719 $20,628 28.2%
Jacksonville, FL $1,696 $20,352 25.7%
Raleigh, NC $1,675 $20,100 26.8%
Dallas, TX $1,659 $19,908 25.1%
Houston, TX $1,643 $19,716 24.9%
Salt Lake City, UT $1,641 $19,692 26.4%
Grand Rapids, MI $1,631 $19,572 26.1%
Austin, TX $1,622 $19,464 24.6%
New Orleans, LA $1,598 $19,176 25.2%
Greenville, SC $1,569 $18,828 25.7%
Milwaukee, WI $1,563 $18,756 25.3%
Indianapolis, IN $1,552 $18,624 24.5%
Rochester, NY $1,536 $18,432 21.4%
Kansas City, MO $1,529 $18,348 24.7%
Detroit, MI $1,524 $18,288 24.4%
Cincinnati, OH $1,522 $18,264 24.0%
Columbus, OH $1,521 $18,252 24.0%
Tucson, AZ $1,483 $17,796 23.2%
Pittsburgh, PA $1,469 $17,628 23.2%
Cleveland, OH $1,454 $17,448 22.9%
Buffalo, NY $1,449 $17,388 20.2%
St. Louis, MO $1,443 $17,316 23.3%
Birmingham, AL $1,433 $17,196 23.2%
San Antonio, TX $1,422 $17,064 21.6%
Omaha, NE $1,413 $16,956 22.9%
Memphis, TN $1,400 $16,800 21.2%
Oklahoma City, OK $1,388 $16,656 22.4%
Tulsa, OK $1,382 $16,584 22.3%
Louisville, KY $1,348 $16,176 21.5%

Related pages

→ Take-home pay by state

The other half of the equation: what each state keeps on $100,000.

→ Compare two cities

Same salary, two metros — rent and net pay side by side.

→ Salary breakdowns

What a salary keeps before you pay rent.

→ Rent affordability guides

"Can I afford this rent?" answered with 2026 numbers.

Questions

Where does the rent data come from?

Zillow Research ZORI (observed rent index) metro file, month Aug 2026. Each month label is kept on the city pages so the vintage is always visible.

Why is rent compared with a $100,000 salary?

It is the common denominator across this site: every state page, salary page and city page uses the same engine and the same reference salary, so the numbers can be compared directly.

What rent can I afford on my salary?

A common rule is 30% of take-home pay. In this set, 38 of 60 metros sit under that line on a $100,000 salary — the rest need either a higher salary or a different neighbourhood.

Are utilities and commuting included?

No. ZORI is rent only; utilities, transport and food are not part of this dataset and are not estimated here.

Sources & method

Figures on this page are planning estimates built from published IRS tables and state agency rates; they are not tax advice. How we build and check these estimates · Edited by: · Last updated: 2026-11-09