Renting

Report: Here’s how many hours you have to work to pay your rent in Mass.

In 20 years, the nation has seen a nearly 67 percent increase in the number of labor hours needed to keep an apartment.

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November 12, 2024

2 minutes to read

You need to work 53.4 hours a month on average in Massachusetts to pay the rent in 2024, according to a report by Self Financial, a personal finance site.

For the rest of New England, the hours vary, but not drastically:

In New Hampshire, you need to work 53.1 hours a month to cover the median monthly rent of $1,861.
In Connecticut, you need to work 48.5 hours a month to cover the median monthly rent of $1,813.
In Rhode Island, you need to work 47.2 hours a month to cover the median monthly rent of $1,672.
In Vermont, you need to work 45.5 hours a month to cover the median monthly rent of $1,521.
In Maine, you need to work 44.1 hours a month to cover the median monthly rent of $1,377.

Nationally, Americans need to work slightly fewer hours (50) to cover their housing. The report takes into account an average hourly rate of $34.59 and an average rent of $1,733. The average hourly earnings for each state were taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the rental costs, which come from the Census Bureau, were inflated to 2024 prices using the Consumer Price Index, according to the methodology.

“Due to wages not keeping pace with continuously rising rent costs in America, the number of hours of work it takes to cover rent has increased by 19% to 50 hours in 2024 compared to 42 hours in 2023,” according to the report. “This shows a 66.6% increase in the hours needed to pay rent on an average wage since 2004.”

Nationally, Hawaii topped the list with an average rent of $2,417 and residents needing to work 66.2 hours based on an average hourly wage of $36.53. “This severe mismatch highlights the issue of the stark rent-to-wage ratio, making the paradise islands less desirable for those who can’t afford it,” the report stated. “Hawaii isn’t alone with its steep increase in rent costs and low hourly earnings — the likes of Nevada, California, and Florida all require over 63 hours to fulfill rent costs.”

On the other end of the rankings, North Dakota residents need to work only 34 hours a month to cover a median cost of $1,151.

Here’s a glimpse of how all the US states fared:

State	Inflated 2024 median rent	Average hourly earnings	Hours
Hawaii	$2,417	$36.53	66.2
Nevada	$1,948	$30.08	64.8
California	$2,493	$38.63	64.5
Florida	$2,033	$32.01	63.5
Maryland	$2,067	$34.48	59.9
Arizona	$1,933	$32.38	59.7
Colorado	$2,195	$37.77	58.1
New Jersey	$2,073	$35.71	58.1
Virginia	$1,921	$33.33	57.6
Georgia	$1,692	$30.54	55.4
Utah	$1,829	$33.30	54.9
New Hampshire	$1,861	$35.03	53.1
Delaware	$1,699	$31.50	53.9
Washington	$2,173	$40.69	53.4
New York	$1,999	$37.52	53.3
Massachusetts	$2,179	$40.80	53.4
Texas	$1,720	$32.54	52.9
Oregon	$1,827	$35.24	51.8
Alaska	$1,772	$36.07	49.1
Tennessee	$1,461	$29.83	49
Idaho	$1,517	$31.45	48.2
Connecticut	$1,813	$37.39	48.5
South Carolina	$1,445	$30.41	47.5
District of Columbia	$2,457	$50.98	48.2
Pennsylvania	$1,488	$31.40	47.4
North Carolina	$1,508	$31.93	47.2
Louisiana	$1,312	$28.12	46.7
Rhode Island	$1,672	$35.44	47.2
Illinois	$1,560	$33.14	47.1
Vermont	$1,521	$33.46	45.5
New Mexico	$1,273	$27.74	45.9
Mississippi	$1,164	$25.99	44.8
Maine	$1,377	$31.24	44.1
Michigan	$1,403	$32.20	43.6
Kansas	$1,300	$29.87	43.5
Indiana	$1,296	$30.03	43.2
Minnesota	$1,600	$36.99	43.3
Montana	$1,340	$31.01	43.2
Nebraska	$1,311	$31.00	42.3
Kentucky	$1,188	$28.48	41.7
Oklahoma	$1,249	$29.96	41.7
Alabama	$1,217	$29.80	40.8
Iowa	$1,188	$28.36	41.9
Ohio	$1,265	$31.55	40.1
Arkansas	$1,128	$28.09	40.2
Missouri	$1,272	$31.11	40.9
Wisconsin	$1,323	$33.45	39.6
Wyoming	$1,193	$30.84	38.7
South Dakota	$1,155	$30.38	38
West Virginia	$1,060	$28.05	37.8
North Dakota	$1,151	$33.88	34

Credit: Self Financial

Based on the federal minimum wage of $7.25, however, the situation is dire. It takes 239 hours of work to afford the median monthly apartment cost this year, according to the report. “This is compared to 140 hours in 2004, an increase of 70.7 percent over this 20-year period.”