Out of Reach

 
Out of Reach:

Rental Housing At What Cost?

October, 1998
The Worst Counties

 
Estimated Percent Renter Households Unable to Afford Two Bedroom FMR Estimated Percent of Federal Minimum Wage ($5.15/hour) Needed to Afford Two Bedroom FMR Estimated Hours/Week Needed to Work at Minimum Wage to Afford Two
Bedroom FMR
County Metro area % County Metro Area % County Metro Area Hours/Week
Rockland New York, NY 62% Nassau Nassau-Suffolk, NY 400% Nassau Nassau-Suffolk, NY 160
Richmond New York, NY 58% Suffolk Nassau-Suffolk, NY 400% Suffolk Nassau-Suffolk, NY 160
Cameron Brownsville, TX 55% Westchester  Westchester County, NY 388% Westchester  Westchester County, NY 155
Dade Miami, FL 51% Marin  San Francisco, CA 369% Marin San Francisco, CA 147
Nassau Nassau-Suffolk, NY 51% San Mateo San Francisco, CA 369% San Mateo San Francisco, CA 147
Orange Newburgh, NY-PA 51% Santa Clara San Jose, CA 369% Santa Clara San Jose, CA 147
Monmouth Monmouth-Ocean, NJ 50% San Francisco San Francisco, CA 369% San Francisco San Francisco, CA 147
Pueblo Pueblo, CO 49% Honolulu Honolulu, HI 368% Honolulu Honolulu, HI 147
Westchester Westchester County, NY 49% Santa Cruz Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 368% Santa Cruz Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 147
Santa Barbara Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, CA 48% Somerset Middlesex-Somerset, NJ 347% Somerset Middlesex-Somerset, NJ 139
NOTES:
  • FMR = Fair Market Rent 
  • AMI = Area Median Income, determined by HUD 
  • HUD = Department of Housing and Urban Development 
  • EST RTR MEDIAN = 1998 Estimated Renter Median Income, based on 1990 renter median income as percent of household median income 
  • Income Needed to Afford = Affordability is based on the official 30%-of-income standard used in federal housing subsidy programs. 
  • % Unable to Afford = percent ofrenter population whomust pay more than 30% of income for rent. 
  • Wage calculations are based on a 40 hour week for 52 weeks per year. 
  • The federal minimum wage is $5.15/hour. 
  • Rows are shaded for navigational purposes only.
To View A State:
Enter two-letter state abbreviation (lower-case letters)
and press "Go" (not 'enter'): 

OR (for non java-script browsers) click on any state below:

Alabama- Alaska- Arizona- Arkansas- California- Colorado- Connecticut- Delaware- District of Columbia- Florida- Georgia- Hawaii- Idaho- Illinois- Indiana- Iowa- Kansas- Kentucky- Louisiana- Maine- Maryland- Massachusetts- Michigan- Minnesota- Mississippi- Missouri- Montana- Nebraska- Nevada- New Hampshire- New Jersey- New Mexico- New York- North Carolina- North Dakota- Ohio- Oklahoma- Oregon- Pennsylvania- Rhode Island- South Carolina- South Dakota- Tennessee- Texas- Utah-Vermont- Virginia- Washington- West Virginia- Wisconsin- Wyoming