RentCalc / Rent by salary / $15 an hour
How much rent can I afford on $15 an hour?
Short answer: about $780 a month. Here's how that holds up once you add debts, taxes and what landlords check.
The numbers for $15 an hour
$15 an hour is $31,200 a year, or $2,600 a month before tax (40 hours × 52 weeks).
| Rule | Monthly rent |
|---|---|
| 30% of gross income | $780 |
| 3x rent (landlord screen) | $867 |
| 40x rent (NYC-style screen) | $780 |
| 50/30/20, after $900 of other needs | $114 |
With debt payments
Keeping rent plus monthly debt payments under 36% of gross income:
- No debt payments: rent up to $780
- $300/month in debt payments: rent up to $636
- $600/month in debt payments: rent up to $336
Take-home is estimated at 78% of gross ($2,028/month). Your real figure depends on your state and deductions.
Affordable rent on $15/hour
$780
per month, 30% rule
Run your exact numbers, including debts, utilities and take-home pay.
Questions people ask
How much rent can I afford making $15 an hour?
Under the 30% rule, about $780 a month. $15 an hour is $2,600 a month before tax, and 30% of that is $780. If you have debt payments, keep rent plus debts under 36% of gross, which is $936 a month in total.
Will a landlord approve me for $780 rent on $15 an hour?
That is the ceiling under the 40x rule ($31,200 ÷ 40). Under the more common 3x rule the ceiling is $867. Anything above those usually needs a guarantor or a co-applicant.
Is $780 rent realistic on $15/hour after taxes?
Take-home pay on $15 an hour is very roughly $2,028 a month (it varies with your state, filing status and deductions). $780 would be about 38% of that, which leaves $1,248 for everything else.