Politics & Government

Here’s how much money you need to make to live comfortably in Phoenix

Housing in Phoenix is largely unaffordable, and this study shows why.
downtown phoenix at dusk
The average one-bedroom apartment in Phoenix costs $1,679 a month, according to Clever Real Estate.

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Want to afford a one-bedroom apartment in Phoenix? According to a study by Clever Real Estate, you better be making a good chunk of money.

To comfortably afford a one-bedroom apartment in Phoenix – that is, to spend no more than the recommended 30% of your income on housing – you need to be making $32.29 an hour. For someone working 40 hours a week, a one-bedroom apartment in Phoenix requires a yearly salary of $67,163.20. That’s slightly more than the income of the average Phoenix resident, which is $64,056 a year, according to ZipRecruiter.

Clever Real Estate examined the cost of rent in cities across the United States. A fair-market one-bedroom apartment in Phoenix costs $1,679 a month. Among the country’s 15 most populous cities, Phoenix has the sixth-highest necessary income to afford that kind of rent. Phoenix ranks just behind Los Angeles, California, where residents must make $40.02 an hour to afford a fair market-rate one-bedroom dwelling.

San Jose, California, is the most expensive city on Clever Real Estate’s list, requiring a whopping $57.21 an hour to afford a one-bedroom apartment.

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Notably, the minimum wage in Arizona is just $14.35 an hour, though it is set to rise a bit next year. Minimum wage workers in Arizona make around $29,848 a year, which is significantly less than the required annual income of $51,356 a year to live in Phoenix, according to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator. Per Clever Real Estate, to afford the average one-bedroom apartment in Phoenix, minimum-wage workers would need to spend 68% of their income on rent.

Things used to be even worse. In 2016, voters approved Proposition 206, which raised the minimum wage from $8.05 an hour to $10. It also mandated regular increases, to $12 by 2020 and then adjusted for inflation based on U.S. Census data. In January, the state minimum wage will increase slightly to $14.70. According to MIT, a living wage in Phoenix – not necessarily a comfortable one – would be $24.69 an hour.

When it comes to living comfortably, here’s how Phoenix compares with other major cities.

1. San Jose, California

Related

  • Fair market rent: $2,975
  • Hourly minimum wage: $17.55
  • Percent of minimum wage income to rent one bedroom: 98%
  • Hourly wage needed to spend 30% on rent: $57.21

2. New York City

  • Fair market rent: $2,330
  • Hourly minimum wage: $16
  • Percent of minimum wage income to rent one bedroom: 84%
  • Hourly wage needed to spend 30% on rent: $44.81

3. San Diego, California

Related

  • Fair market rent: $2,328
  • Hourly minimum wage: $16.85
  • Percent of minimum wage income to rent one bedroom: 80%
  • Hourly wage needed to spend 30% on rent: $44.77

4. Seattle, Washington

  • Fair market rent: $2,293
  • Hourly minimum wage: $19.97
  • Percent of minimum wage income to rent one bedroom: 66%
  • Hourly wage needed to spend 30% on rent: $44.10

5. Los Angeles, California

Related

  • Fair market rent: $2,081
  • Hourly minimum wage: $17.27
  • Percent of minimum wage income to rent one bedroom: 70%
  • Hourly wage needed to spend 30% on rent: $40.02

6. Phoenix

  • Fair market rent: $1,679
  • Hourly minimum wage: $14.35
  • Percent of minimum wage income to rent one bedroom: 68%
  • Hourly wage needed to spend 30% on rent: $32.29

7. Austin, Texas

Related

  • Fair market rent: $1,650
  • Hourly minimum wage: $7.25
  • Percent of minimum wage income to rent one bedroom: 131%
  • Hourly wage needed to spend 30% on rent: $31.73

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