New Yorkers Work 48 Hours a Month Just to Pay Rent

Rent keeps getting more expensive and a new study shows how many hours that we have to work to afford it. Self Financial looked at all 50 states to see how hard people are working just to pay for a place to live.

Rent Is Going Up Faster Than Wages

In 2025, the average person in the U.S. works about 38 hours each month just to cover their rent. That’s almost an entire workweek every month just for housing. In some states, people have to work even more hours than that.

New Yorkers Work 48 Hours a Month to Pay Rent

In New York, the average rent is $1,840 per month. WOW! The average hourly pay is about $38, so that means people in New York need to work 48 hours every month just to pay their rent. As bad as that is, it's worse in New York City, where residents in the Big Apple need to work the most hours to pay the rent at 90.2 hours every month.

New York Is One of the Most Expensive States

New York is the 7th most expensive state in the country when it comes to hours worked to afford rent. Vermont, Hawaii, and California are even worse with people there needing to work over 50 or even 60 hours a month just to pay for housing. OUCH!

People Are Working More, But It’s Still Hard

One problem is that rent prices are rising faster than wages. Even though people are working hard, it’s still tough to afford a place to live in many states, including New York.

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Some States Are Cheaper

In places like South Dakota and Arkansas, people don’t have to work as many hours to pay rent. But in New York, the high cost of living makes it harder to get by. Go here to see the breakdown for every US state.