How much can average renters afford?

Nearly everywhere in Connecticut, the rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment is out of reach for average renters. In the chart below, the grey dots show the highest monthly rent an average renter can afford without exceeding 30% of their gross income. The red dots show the actual cost of typical two-bedroom rental homes, based on fair market rents in the area.

Monthly rent affordable at mean renter wage is the highest amount an average renter with a full-time job can afford to pay each month without spending more than 30% of their gross income on housing and utilities. Average wage reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2020, adjusted to reflect the income of renter households relative to all households, and projected to 2022.
Chart: CT Public Source: Nat'l Low Income Housing Coalition/Out of Reach '22 Get the data