According to Zillow, eight major U.S. metro areas now require incomes of over $100,000 to comfortably afford median rent.
Four cities recently joined this list: Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and Miami. Nationwide, renters need to earn about $81,000 to afford the median rent of $2,094, with rent costs rising 34% since 2020 while wages only increased 23%.
Some affordable options remain in cities like Buffalo, Oklahoma City, and Louisville, where median rent takes 23% or less of income.