Rent affordability
How much rent can you afford on $90,000 a year?
About $2,013 a month. The 30% rule caps rent, utilities, internet, and renters insurance at $2,250 a month on $90,000, and those other costs average about $237. A landlord asking for income of 36 times the rent would approve up to $2,500; at 40 times, common in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, up to $2,250.
- Gross / month
- $7,500
- 30% budget
- $2,250
- Max rent
- $2,013
- Landlord screen
- $2,500
Max rent in the U.S.
$2,013/mo
30% of gross income is $2,250 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $237, which leaves $2,013 for rent.
Rent depends on the metro. Pick a city below to compare its median with your max.
- Take-home
- $6,012/moAfter estimated federal tax and FICA.
- Move-in cash
- $4,026First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
- Landlord screen
- $2,500/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.
Monthly budget
Where take-home pay of $6,012 goes at your max rent of $2,013. Each slice is its share of take-home.
- Rent34%$2,013
- Electric, gas, water2%$146
- Internet1%$77
- Renters insurance<1%$14
- Left over63%$3,762
Housing comes to $2,250 a month, 30% of gross income and 37% of take-home. That leaves $3,762 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.
Where a typical 1-bedroom fits on $90,000
A typical 1-bedroom with utilities fits within 30% of $90,000 in 213 of 218 metros we track, including Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; and Dallas, TX. It does not fit in 5, including New York, NY; Washington, DC; and San Francisco, CA.
Largest metros where it fits
Largest metros where it does not
The rent affordability rankings compare every metro against what its renters earn.
Take-home pay and max rent on $90,000 by state
For a single filer, take-home pay runs from about $6,012 a month in Alaska to $5,382 a month in Oregon, after estimated federal income tax, state income tax, and FICA. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
| State | Take-home / month | Max rent | Housing / take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $6,012 | $1,965 | 37% |
| Florida | $6,012 | $2,018 | 37% |
| Nevada | $6,012 | $2,029 | 37% |
| New Hampshire | $6,012 | $2,005 | 37% |
| South Dakota | $6,012 | $2,052 | 37% |
| Tennessee | $6,012 | $2,014 | 37% |
| Texas | $6,012 | $1,999 | 37% |
| Washington | $6,012 | $2,016 | 37% |
| Wyoming | $6,012 | $2,020 | 37% |
| North Dakota | $5,945 | $2,055 | 38% |
| Ohio | $5,866 | $1,993 | 38% |
| Arizona | $5,825 | $2,022 | 39% |
| Indiana | $5,787 | $2,020 | 39% |
| Louisiana | $5,787 | $2,012 | 39% |
| Pennsylvania | $5,782 | $2,011 | 39% |
| Iowa | $5,727 | $2,035 | 39% |
| Arkansas | $5,727 | $2,014 | 39% |
| Rhode Island | $5,722 | $2,014 | 39% |
| West Virginia | $5,720 | $1,963 | 39% |
| Mississippi | $5,719 | $2,011 | 39% |
| Kentucky | $5,712 | $2,020 | 39% |
| New Jersey | $5,711 | $1,999 | 39% |
| Michigan | $5,693 | $2,033 | 40% |
| North Carolina | $5,693 | $2,024 | 40% |
| New Mexico | $5,690 | $2,047 | 40% |
| Colorado | $5,682 | $2,034 | 40% |
| Missouri | $5,674 | $1,987 | 40% |
| Oklahoma | $5,672 | $2,005 | 40% |
| Utah | $5,671 | $2,019 | 40% |
| Connecticut | $5,662 | $2,010 | 40% |
| Nebraska | $5,662 | $2,044 | 40% |
| Maryland | $5,660 | $2,012 | 40% |
| Wisconsin | $5,648 | $2,043 | 40% |
| Vermont | $5,647 | $2,023 | 40% |
| Illinois | $5,641 | $2,035 | 40% |
| Alabama | $5,640 | $1,999 | 40% |
| Massachusetts | $5,637 | $1,996 | 40% |
| New York | $5,609 | $2,000 | 40% |
| Georgia | $5,608 | $1,996 | 40% |
| Idaho | $5,607 | $2,016 | 40% |
| South Carolina | $5,604 | $2,023 | 40% |
| California | $5,603 | $1,975 | 40% |
| Virginia | $5,602 | $2,003 | 40% |
| Delaware | $5,602 | $2,001 | 40% |
| Kansas | $5,601 | $2,030 | 40% |
| Montana | $5,591 | $1,976 | 40% |
| Minnesota | $5,541 | $2,041 | 41% |
| Hawaii | $5,534 | $2,001 | 41% |
| Maine | $5,518 | $2,014 | 41% |
| District of Columbia | $5,508 | $1,987 | 41% |
| Oregon | $5,382 | $1,995 | 42% |
Questions about rent on $90,000
How much rent can I afford on $90,000 a year?
About $2,013 a month. The 30% rule caps rent, utilities, internet, and renters insurance at $2,250 a month on $90,000, and those other costs average about $237. A landlord asking for income of 36 times the rent would approve up to $2,500; at 40 times, common in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, up to $2,250.
What is $90,000 a year after taxes?
For a single filer, take-home pay runs from about $6,012 a month in Alaska to $5,382 a month in Oregon, after estimated federal income tax, state income tax, and FICA. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
Where can I afford to live on $90,000 a year?
A typical 1-bedroom with utilities fits within 30% of $90,000 in 213 of 218 metros we track, including Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; and Dallas, TX. It does not fit in 5, including New York, NY; Washington, DC; and San Francisco, CA.
Methodology and sources
Updated . The 30% budget covers rent, utilities, internet, and renters insurance. Max rent subtracts a 1-bedroom utility estimate, internet, and renters insurance: national averages up top, state averages in the table, and each main city's local estimate in the metro lists. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay is for a single filer with the standard deduction, using 2026 federal brackets, 2025 state income tax brackets, and FICA, with no local income tax. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.