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According to statistics, US rental costs have increased by 50% in the last 10 years Federal Reserve Consumer Price Index – And in many places salaries don’t keep up with rental prices.
This makes it nearly impossible to find an apartment for a quarter of your income in expensive cities like Miami, New York, and Los Angeles, even if you earn a good salary.
However, in some places, the rent-to-income ratio is better than others and can be slightly higher, as much as 15% to 17%. GOBankingRates collected data to show how incomes stack up against rental prices from highest to lowest. These data points are based on rent-to-income ratios as of April 2026 wallet hubAverage monthly rent from Zillow and average household income from IncomeByZipcode.com.
Here are the 10 best places where salaries will match rent in 2026.
Overland Park, KS
- Rent-Income Ratio: 17.34%
- Average monthly rent: $2,000
- Average Household Income: $141,150 to $241,167
Anchorage, AK
- Rent-Income Ratio: 17.30%
- Average monthly rent: $1,850
- Average Household Income: $132,200 to $218,314
Casper, WY
- Rent-Income Ratio: 17.24%
- Average monthly rent: $1,200
- Average Household Income: $81,735 to $112,006
Juno, AK
- Rent-Income Ratio: 17.04%
- Average monthly rent: $1,800
- Average Household Income: $128,599 to $130,271
Cheyenne, WY
- Rent-Income Ratio: 17.02%
- Average monthly rent: $1,525
- Average Household Income: $80,756 to $99,407
Fargo, ND
- Rent-Income Ratio: 16.94%
- Average monthly rent: $925
- Average Household Income: $84,785 to $273,359
Charleston, WV
- Rent-Income Ratio: 16.56%
- Average monthly rent: $975
- Average Household Income: $84,041 to $138,703
Cedar Rapids, IA
- Rent-Income Ratio: 16.48%
- Average monthly rent: $1,152
- Average Household Income: $93,772 to $104,478
Sioux Falls, SD
- Rent-Income Ratio: 16.35%
- Average monthly rent: $1,135
- Average Household Income: $98,002 to $132,275
Bismarck, n.d.
- Rent-Income Ratio: 15.29%
- Average monthly rent: $1,299
- Average Household Income: $101,767 to $110,470
