Economy
Mapping the Hourly Wage Needed to Rent a 2-Bedroom Apartment in Every U.S. State
The figures highlight the mismatch between dipping job earnings and soaring housing costs.
Yes, the American economy is improving, and yes, we’re creating more jobs. But the hourly wages for a lot of these jobs are stagnant at best. According to the Pew Research Center, 30 percent of America’s workforce earns a near-minimum-wage salary—that’s almost 21 million people. As a cruel paradox, rents across the country keep rising.