The Fact
The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach 2026 report calculated a national one-bedroom Housing Wage of $29.19 per hour: the hourly wage a full-time worker would need to afford HUD Fair Market Rent without spending more than 30% of income on housing. The average renter wage was $24.84 per hour, a gap of $4.35.
What This Means
At the national level, the average renter wage did not meet the wage needed for a modest one-bedroom at the conventional 30% affordability standard in 2026. This is the one-bedroom companion to the Fact Bank’s two-bedroom Housing Wage record.
Sources
- National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2026: The High Cost of Housing.