How Many Hours a Minimum-Wage Worker Must Work to Rent a 1-Bedroom in 2025

Rent prices keep climbing across the United States, while minimum wages lag behind. For many workers, it’s becoming impossible to afford housing on a single full-time income. Using the latest federal rent estimates and state minimum wages, we calculated how many hours per week someone earning minimum wage would need to work to afford a modest one-bedroom rental in 2025.

Key finding:

Across the United States, a minimum-wage worker needs to work about 27 hours per week to afford a one-bedroom apartment. In high-cost states like Hawaii and California, that number climbs past 30 hours, while in lower-cost states like Arkansas and Missouri, it’s closer to 16–18.

Short analysis:

Even states with higher minimum wages, such as California and Washington, still require over 25 hours per week to keep up with rent costs. Meanwhile, in states that still follow the federal $7.25 minimum, workers would need to log more than a full-time schedule just to cover rent.

Why it matters:

As wages and rents drift further apart, many workers look for remote jobs to access better pay without relocating. The ability to work from home has become one of the most effective ways for people to balance living costs and income potential.

Sample data (5 states):

Download full dataset (CSV)

Data Sources: