Rent Now Costs 90% Of Minimum Wage—Can You Afford Anything Else?

Living on minimum wage in 2024 isn't just tough—it's nearly impossible. New data shows that rent alone takes up 90% of a full-time minimum wage earner's paycheck. And that's before food, utilities, transportation, or any other basic expenses.

Minimum Wage Hasn’t Kept Up—Not Even Close

The federal minimum wage sits at $7.25 per hour, the same as it's been since 2009. That means a full-time worker earns about $1,276 per month. Meanwhile, the average rent in the U.S. is now $1,148 per month—leaving just $128 for everything else. That's not a typo.

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In 1984, minimum wage workers had it tough, but at least rent only took up 41% of their earnings. Fast forward 40 years, and that percentage has more than doubled. And it's not just rent—utilities now eat up 32.8% of minimum wage income, and food takes another 67.4%. The math simply doesn't work.

Forget Buying A Home—It's 23.4x A Minimum Wage Salary

Dreaming of homeownership? That's even more out of reach. The average home now costs 23.4 times a full-time minimum wage salary. In 1984, it was 13.8 times. Even lower-tier homes (in the 5th to 35th percentile range) now require mortgage payments that are 133.1% of a minimum wage worker's entire income.

Even if two minimum wage earners pooled their salaries, they'd still fall short. Their combined earnings would only cover about 66.6% of the mortgage payments on a low-cost home—far above the recommended debt-to-income ratio.

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Can Two People Make It Work? Not Really.

Maybe the solution is doubling up. Two full-time minimum wage earners bring in $2,552 per month. But even with that combined income, average rent still eats up nearly half. Add utilities, food, and healthcare, and they're still falling short.

In 1984, two people on minimum wage could at least scrape by—basic expenses added up to about 107% of their combined income. Not great, but survivable. In 2024? Those same costs are now 164.4% for homeowners and 202.2% for renters.

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The Bottom Line

The minimum wage was never meant to make people rich. But in 2024, it's not even enough to survive. Rent alone is wiping out paychecks, and other essentials like food and utilities are climbing too. Without major wage increases or drastic cost-of-living changes, minimum wage workers are stuck in an impossible financial trap.

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