A minimum-wage worker can’t afford a 2-bedroom apartment anywhere in the U.S.

MSN ^ | 06/14/18 | Tracy Jan

[Simon Green]

The economy’s booming. Some states have raised minimum wages. But even with recent wage growth for the lowest-paid workers, there is still nowhere in the country where someone working a full-time minimum wage job could afford to rent a modest two-bedroom apartment, according to an annual report released Wednesday by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Not even in Arkansas, the state with the cheapest housing in the country. One would need to earn $13.84 an hour — about $29,000 a year — to afford a two-bedroom apartment there. The minimum wage in Arkansas is $8.50 an hour.

Even the $15 living wage championed by Democrats would not make a dent in the vast majority of states.

In Hawaii, the state with the most expensive housing, one would have to make $36.13 — about $75,000 a year — to afford a decent two-bedroom apartment. The minimum wage in Hawaii rose to $10.10 an hour this year.

It gets worse in many metropolitan areas. San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties top the list of most expensive jurisdictions, where one would need to make $60.02 an hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.

“The housing crisis is growing, especially for the lowest-income workers,” said Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “The rents are far out of reach from what the average renter is earning.”

[minnesota_bound]

Either raise the minimum wage to say $100/hr or give away free homes.....

[oldtech]

“Not even in Arkansas, the state with the cheapest housing in the country. One would need to earn $13.84 an hour — about $29,000 a year — to afford a two-bedroom apartment there. The minimum wage in Arkansas is $8.50 an hour.” I retired about 5 yrs. ago & most years working at a skilled job,I never made $29000. Looks to me like rent is clear out of proportion to most working folks’ earnings.

[ro_dreaming]

That’s my question - why SHOULD minimum wage earners be able to afford a two bedroom apartment?

I couldn’t earn a two bedroom apartment until I was making about $50,000 a year... when I became a contractor in Florida in 1996 (at the age of 26)... before then, I lived in Navy barracks, a 1 bedroom, a studio apartment with a girlfriend, a one bedroom, and then finally a 2 bedroom. This was 4 years into an IT career, not minimum wage.

[DivineMomentsOfTruth]

Yep! My ex-husband used to re-use coffee filters.. Although I thought that was a tad extreme.