- 2024 Minimum Wage: $7.25
- 2023 Minimum Wage: $7.25
- Increase: +$0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,064
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 146.8
From 2023, Alabama's minimum wage hasn't raised a penny! At that salary, it already takes 84% of working hours to pay for rent, which averages $1,064 for a one bedroom apartment. That means you'll be working 146.8 hours/month to afford rent, and there's only 173.3 non-overtime hours possible to work in a month... That's pretty steep!
- 2024: $11.73
- 2023: $10.85
- Increase: +$0.88
- Avg. Rent: $1,422
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 121.2
Alaska has one of the better minimum wage to cost-of-living ratios in the country, but that's not saying much. Their minimum wage raised nearly $1.00 to $11.73 in 2024. On that salary, working the maximum amount of hours possible, it would take 121.2 hours out of 173.3 to afford rent. For a one bedroom rent will put you back about $1,422 each month, which is still 70% of your salary!
- 2024: $14.35
- 2023: $13.85
- Increase: +$0.50
- Avg. Rent: $1,491
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 103.9
Like Alaska, Arizona's cost-of-living ratio to minimum wage salary isn't the worst by a long shot, but it also isn't the best. It takes about 60% of non-overtime working hours to pay for rent on $14.35/hr, especially when a one bedroom will cost you $1,491/month... Imagine if you had a two bedroom?!
- 2024: $11.00
- 2023: $11.00
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,025
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 93.2
Arkansas hasn't raised it's minimum wage since January 2023, but at least it's one of the most affordable states to live in the country. It's average monthly rent for a one-bedroom aparment is $30 cheaper than Alabamas, yet Arkansas' minimum wage is $4 higher! At $11 per hour, it would take a minimum-wage worker 93.2 hours/month to afford a $1,025 rental, which shakes out to about 50% of the maximum possible hours worked.
- 2024: $16.00
- 2023: $15.50
- Increase: +$0.50
- Avg. Rent: 1,958
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 122.4 Hrs
California has a high cost of living, but an even higher minimum wage to make up for it. Unfortunately, rent is still astronomical on that salary, making up 71% of your entire monthly income as a minimum-wage earner working at max capacity. A one bedroom will cost about $2k per month on average, which only leaves 30% of your leftover income to spend on the rest of your basic necessities.
- 2024: $14.42
- 2023: $13.65
- Increase: +$0.77
- Avg. Rent: $1,635
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 113.4 hrs
In Colorado, 65% of your month's wages on a minimum salary will likely be spent on rent — and that's with a $0.77 increase since 2023. A one-bedroom apartment costs about $1,600 in this state, so you'll have to work at least 115 hours to afford housing. Even worst, that's only if you're scheduled for the maximum number of hours (173.3), which isn't likely...
- 2024: $15.69
- 2023: $15.00
- Increase: +$0.69
- Avg. Rent: $1,644
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 104.8
Connecticut's minimum wage was $15 in 2023, and it slightly increasted to $15.69 in 2024. This gave minimal breathing room for employees working at this salary because rent isn't getting any cheaper. A small aparment costs $1,644 on average in this state, which eats up 61% of your entire month's wages.
- 2024: $13.25
- 2023: $11.75
- Increase: +$1.50
- Avg. Rent: $1,621
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 122.3
As a minimum-wage employee in Delaware, nearly 71% of your monthly earnings are blown on rent even with the $1.50 wage increase since 2023. The average one bedroom costs $1,621, so you'd have to work at least 122.3 hours in a month to afford it... We have other expenses, too, you know!
- 2024: $12.00
- 2023: $11.00
- Increase: +$1.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,687
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 140.6
Imagine chucking 80% of your income each month at rent to live in Florida! Is that worth it at all? Minimum wage increased from $13 to $14 in 2024, but it still takes 141 hours of work every month to afford the average $1.6k rent prices.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,365
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 188.3
- 108.6%
Georgia's cost of living/minimum wage ratio is actually insane. There was no increase for minimum wage workers in 2024, keeping their hourly earning at a dismal $7.25. But with inflation and rent raising out the wazoo, it would take these workers 188 hours to earn enough for a one-bedroom at $1,365. Without working overtime, that's 108.6% of your income... Uh-oh!
- 2024: $14.00
- 2023: $14.00
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $2,418
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 172.7
Hawaii is nearly as bad as Georgia when it comes to the cost-of-living crisis. There was no minimum wage increase in this state either for 2024, but at lest it's at $14. The rent, however, is nothing to scoff at: $2,418! For one bedroom! We're clutching our pearls at those prices!
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,170
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 161.4
93.1% of your minimum-wage income will be spent on rent every month in Idaho. The state refused to raise wages from $7.25 in 2024, so you're still having to work 161.4 hours each month to afford a $1.2k apartment. Consider ourselves annoyed.
- 2024: $14.00
- 2023: $13.00
- Increase: +$1.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,303
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 93.1
- 53.7%
After seeing the rest of the country's prices, Illinois sounds like an oasis... They raised minimum wage a whole dollar in 2024 to $14. Plus, the average rent each month for a one-bedroom apartment is relatively low compared to wages at $1,303. That means it only takes about 50% of your paycheck to cover rent and the rest can go to, you know, other basic necessities.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,111
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 153.2
What's with these states not raising minimum wage? Is it really that hard? Indiana minimum-wage workers are stuck earning $7.25 an hour for the rest of the year. Rent costs about $1,111 per month for a one bedroom here, so you'll have to spend 88% of your income on that, which shakes out to about 153 hours.
- 2024: $8.00
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: +$0.75
- Avg. Rent: $974
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 134.3
Iowa took a page out of Illinois' book and raised minimum wage in 2024 from $1.25 to $8.00. That not a great salary, but at least it's higher than the federal minimum. The average rent is quite affordable at $974, but that's only a one bedroom rental. Anything bigger will cost significantly more, and 77% of your paycheck is eaten up by the single already...
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,113
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 153.5
- 88.6%
There's no place like... Kansas? We wish we could say that we expected more from Kansas, but we didn't. No minimum wage increase in 2024, at workers are stuck earning only what's requried by federal law. Doesn't sound like they care about their residents too much. Plus, rent there is weirdly high at $1,113, which would take 153 hours per month to cover on this meager paycheck.
- 2024: $8.00
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: +$0.75
- Avg. Rent: $999
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 137.8
It's honestly laughable that anyone thinks "minimum wage" actually covers all of a worker's basic necessities. Even in Kentucky, 138 hours per month barely covers a $1k one-bedroom rental. That's 80% of a minimum-wage workers monthly income, and that's dependent on if they are able to work that make number of hours without overtime.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,052
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 145.1
Shocker! Louisiana didn't raise their minimum wage from $7.25 in 2024. Good luck affording their $1k apartments that can barely fit two people. 145 hours of work on that salary means you'll spend 84% of your income on rent alone, so you have to live with a roommate to survive.
- 2024: $14.15
- 2023: $13.80
- Increase: +$0.35
- Avg. Rent: $1,207
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 85.3
In a shocking turn of events, Maine actually did raise their minimum wage rate in 2024 — a whole $0.35! That doesn't sound like a lot, but it's more than nothing. And with that "generous" of a minimum wage, affording a one-bedroom rental isn't so daunting. Sure, 50% of your monthly checks still go to rent, but that leaves a lot more wiggle room than Georgia!
- 2024: $15.00
- 2023: $13.25
- Increase: $1.75
- Avg. Rent: $1,741
- Hours/Month to Afford Rent: 116.1
Maryland, on top of being gorgeous, is also concerned about their residents' well beings. Their cost of living isn't ideal, but it's better than many other states at this point. They raised wages nearly $2 in 2024, which helps cut the cost of inflated housing. A single apartment can copst $1,700 in this state, you really really need those wages to rise with inflation.
- 2024: $15.00
- 2023: $15.00
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,811
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 120.7
For a state whose average rent costs $1,811 for a one bedroom, Massachusetts really had the audacity not to raise minimum wage to make up for inflated prices. Workers are stuck at $15, which is phenomenal if you lived anywhere other than Masschusetts.
- 2024: $10.33
- 2023: $10.10
- Increase: +$0.23
- Avg. Rent: $1,109
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 107.4
62% of a Michigan minimum-wage worker's income is blown on rent every month, and they thought that a measly $0.23 raise would change that? No. Tiny apartments cost over $1k there, which eats up over 60% of their monthly salary.
- 2024: $10.85
- 2023: $10.59
- Increase: +$0.26
- Avg. Rent: $1,114
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 102.7
Minnesota addressed the country's cost-of-living crisis in a very similar way to Michigan: raising the minimum wage $0.26! Is this a joke? It's almost more insulting to get a tiny raise than no raise at all... (That's a joke. Please give more raises).
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,102
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 152.0
- 87.7%
Mississippi is a frequent flier at the bottom of ranked state lists each year, so it's not surprising that they're doing the bare minimum for their workers, too. For a worker earning $7.25/hr in Mississippi, it takes 152 hours (80% of the maximum hours allowed without overtime) to afford a $1.1k apartment. Yes, it only has one bedroom, too. Good luck!
- 2024: $12.30
- 2023: $12
- Increase: $0.30
- Avg. Rent: $1,050
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 85.4
It's sad to say that a state like Missouri (where it takes 49.2% of your minimum-wage income to afford rent) is one of the best states on this list. They raised their wages from $12 to $12.30, which is significant for a southern/midwestern state.
- 2024: $10.30
- 2023: $9.95
- Increase: +$0.35
- Avg. Rent: $1,091
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 105.9
61% of your income in Montana on a minimum salary is probably spend on rent every month. That's including the recent wage increase form $9.95 to $10.30, because rent prices do not care! $1,091 for a single bedroom apartment is the norm across states, but it's still apalling.
- 2024: $12.00
- 2023: $10.50
- Increase: +$1.50
- Avg. Rent: $1,087
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 90.6
Nebraska had one of the biggest minimum-wage increases in the country this year, raising it from $10.50 to $12 in 2024. Rent is also relatively cheap at $1k/month for a small apartment.
- 2024: $11.25
- 2023: $10.25
- Increase: +$1.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,461
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 129.9
You can expecrt 3/4 of your minimum-wage income (which was increased $1.00 in 2024) to be spent on rent if you're able to work the maximum number of hours in the month. The average one bedroom here costs $1,461, and we struggle to imagine being able to live their comfortably without a roommate to help pay for utilities and groceries.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Avg. Rent: $1,682
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 232.0
If you though Georgia would be the worst on this list, get ready for New Hampshire. Not even New York or California compares to their insane cost of living. A one-bedroom rental costs $1,565/month, and the average worker are expected to cover that at the federal minimum wage? Please! That's 134% of your income!
- 2024: $15.13
- 2023: $14.13
- Increase: +$1.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,850
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 122.3
We hope the New Jersey shore is worth it, because the average apartment here costs over $1,850. Luckily, the minimum wage was raised $1 to $15.13 in 2024, but that's still a major chunk of your income and over 120 working hours!
- 2024: $12.00
- 2023: $12.00
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,295
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 107.9
Great. Another state that doesn't care about raising minimum wage to compete with inflation. When will they understand that if their residents can barely pay for basic necessities, then their state will suffer as a whole?
- 2024: $15.00
- 2023: $15.00
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,765
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 117.7
Surely the Big Apple has some outrageous prices and is worse than New Hampshire? As you probalby already know, that's not the case. In New York, they might not have raised the minimum wage, but at least it's not the federal minimum. $15/hr here could score you a nice $1,765 one bedroom.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,272
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 175.4
In North Carolina, it's impossible to afford rent for a one-bedroom apartment on a minimum wage salary. In fact, it takes working 173.3 hours at $7.25/hr and overtime to afford rent alone. How can anyone work 101.2% of the time? They can't!
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $880
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 121.4
Compared to North Carolina, North Dakota's rent is basically nonexistant at $880. At least, it could be if they actually managed to raise the minimum wage from the $7.25 federal requirement. Imagine that...
- 2024: $10.45
- 2023: $10.10
- Increase: +$0.45
- Avg. Rent: $1,073
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 102.7
Cheers to Ohio for actually raising their minimum wage in 2024! Woohoo! It's only $10.45 now compared to $10 in 2023, but we'll take what we can get at this point. Oh, and good luck affording rent or other basic necessities without a roommate. The same can be said for pretty much every state in the country, sadly.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,081
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 149.1
Oklahoma suffers from the southern-state delusion that thinks that they don't need to raise their minimum wage because their state is "affordable" compared to New York and California. Wrong! Workers here still have to fork over 80% of their monthly salary to pay rent on a one-bedroom apartment.
- 2024: $14.20
- 2023: $13.50
- Increase: +$0.70
- Avg. Rent: $1,368
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 96.3
Why anyone willingly traveled the Oregan Trail to get to this state is truly a mystery... Oh, their minimum wage is up $0.70 to $14.20? It's a gold rush! Just kidding, we understand that Oregan's probably lovely, at their cost of livign really isn't so egregious in the grand scheme of things.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,193
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 164.6
95% of a minimum wage income in Pennsylvania will be thrown into the dumpster fire that is rent. Somehow, this state gets away with $1,193 one-bedroom apartments, but can't muster up a few dimes to raise minimum wage?
- 2024: $14.00
- 2023: $13.00
- Increase: $1.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,565
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 111.8
Rhode Island is small but mighty, and they managed to do what countless other states couldn't and raise the minimum wage an entire dollar! Yes, it still takes 64.5% of your monthly income at that rate to afford rent, but at least it's not New Hampshire...
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,319
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 181.9
South Carolina has no business being this expensive, especially for a southern state. 105.0% of your monthly income on $7.25 minimum wage (which didn't increase at all in 2024, by the way) is required to pay for a basic one-bedroom apartment. Time to start looking for some roommates!
- 2024: $11.20
- 2023: $10.80
- Increase: +$0.40
- Avg. Rent: $977
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 87.2
Since when did everyone working 40 hours/week have to spend half of their monthly income just to afford rent? And with inflation constantly inflating and minimum wage barely budging, moving abroad looks a lot more inticing now.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,180
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 162.8
Tennessee has the audacity to demand 94% of your monthly income on $7.25 minimum wage for rent. It better be a mansion you're renting if they want $1.2k to stay in a one bedroom in the south! And include utilities, too!
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,318
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 181.8
With all of these Californians fleeing their state for Texas, the minimum wage better start reflecting that soon! 104.9% of your $7.25 income goes toward rent here, and these transplants are only making the prices worse.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,378
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 190.1
What's 110% of your monthly income? Oh, right, it's money you physically can't earn without working overtime. Apparently, Utah expects minimum wage workers to do just that to afford rent on their own. As for utilties, groceries, clothes, check your couch cushions...
- 2024: $13.67
- 2023: $13.18
- Increase: $0.49
- Avg. Rent: $1,936
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 141.6
For a state whose average rent for a, apartment is $2k, it's surprisingly plausible to live here on minimum wage. 81.7% will still be blown on rent, yes, but at least the state is pretty to look at out of your one bedroom.
- 2024: $12.00
- 2023: $12.00
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,594
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 132.8
77% of your montlhy minimum wage salary in Virginia can get you a $1.6k one-bedroom apartment. That's over 130 hours of work. If you have any hobbies, maybe it's time to set them aside. Apparently, working yourself to death is more important!
- 2024: $16.28
- 2023: $15.74
- Increase: +$0.54
- Avg. Rent: $1,567
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 96.3
If you don't mind the cold and the rain, Washington is one of the most reasonable states on this list to move to for a nice cost of living-to-minimum wage ratio. They managed to raise wages about 50 cents in 2024, which means only half of your income is wasted on rent.
- 2024: $9.25
- 2023: $8.75
- Increase: +$0.50
- Avg. Rent: $992
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 113.4
Out of the two Virginia states, West Virginia is the better option if you want your minimum wage salary to stretch as far as it can. Here, they raised wages 50 cents, and rent for a one-bedroom apartment is only $992.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,098
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 151.4
Wisconsin better have the tasiest cheese and dairy products we've ever tasted for us to skip town and hunker down there. They didn't raise minimum wage at all in 2024 but it still costs over $1k to afford rent.
- 2024: $7.25
- 2023: $7.25
- Increase: $0.00
- Avg. Rent: $1,124
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 155.0
Just like Wisconsin, Wyoming refused to raise the minimum wage in 2024 from $7.25 an hour, and their rent is insane for that price. 81.7% of your entire income is blown on housing when you still have dozens of basic necessities to pay for.
- 2024: $17.50
- 2023: $17.00
- Increase: +$0.50
- Avg. Rent: $2,255
- Hrs/Month to Afford Rent: 128.9
The District of Colombia has the highest minimum wage in the country, which they raised 50 cents in 2024, but they also have the highest average rent cost for a one-bedroom apartment. To cover $2,255 in rent, workers have to sacrifict 74.3% of their income.
