You’ll need to earn around $25 an hour to live alone in the 25 largest cities in the United States.
This is a median number: you’ll need more in cities like San Francisco or Boston, and less in San Antonio or Detroit. The money covers basic expenses for a single person, like studio accommodation, food, health care and transportation, based on estimates from the Economic Policy Institute’s Living Family Budget Calculator non-profit.
A $25 hourly wage equates to $52,000 per year, based on a 40-hour work week. But in almost half of the 25 largest cities, the living wage is double the local minimum wage. In many of these markets, the minimum wage is less than $15 an hour. In some cities, the minimum wage is as high as $7.25 an hour – the federal minimum.
Many single minimum wage earners struggle to meet basic expenses based solely on their salary and, as such, rely on family or government assistance to get by. EPI’s living wage estimates do not include these other possible sources of money.
Minimum wage earners may also make sacrifices, such as forgoing car ownership or not purchasing health insurance. Having employer-sponsored health insurance certainly helps: It shaves about $2 off the hourly living wage in the 25 largest U.S. cities, according to EPI estimates.
Here’s a look at the 25 most populous metro areas, ranked by the highest minimum wage needed to cover necessities:
1. San Francisco
- Hourly wage needed to cover basic costs: $35.98
- Minimum hourly wage: $18.07 ($20 for fast food workers)
2. Boston
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $34.02
- Minimum hourly wage: $15
3. New York
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $33.58
- Minimum hourly wage: $16
4. Seattle
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $31.93
- Minimum hourly wage: $19.97 (for most workers)
5. San Diego
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $30.46
- Minimum hourly wage: $16.85 ($20 for fast food workers)
6. Washington, D.C.
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $28.89
- Minimum hourly wage: $17.50
7. Los Angeles
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $26.81
- Minimum hourly wage: $16.90 ($20 for fast food workers)
8. Atlanta
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $26.63
- Minimum hourly wage: $7.25
9. Denver
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $25.85
- Minimum hourly wage: $18.29
10. Portland, Oregon
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $25.67
- Minimum hourly wage: $15.45
11.Orlando
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $25.51
- Minimum hourly wage: $12
12. Inland Empire, California
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $25.34
- Minimum hourly wage: $16 ($20 for fast food workers)
13.Miami
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $24.97
- Minimum hourly wage: $12
14. Phoenix
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $24.78
- Minimum hourly wage: $14.35
15. Charlotte
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $24.48
- Minimum hourly wage: $7.25
16. Tampa Bay
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $24.32
- Minimum hourly wage: $12
17. Dallas
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $23.84
- Minimum hourly wage: $7.25
18.Chicago
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $23.72
- Minimum hourly wage: $15 (for most workers)
19. Philadelphia
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $23.39
- Minimum hourly wage: $7.25
20. Baltimore
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $23.13
- Minimum hourly wage: $15
21. Minneapolis-St. Paul
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $22.81
- Minimum hourly wage: $15.57 (from July 1)
22. Houston
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $21.56
- Minimum hourly wage: $7.25
23. St. Louis
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $20.39
- Minimum hourly wage: $12.30
24. Saint-Antoine
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $20.29
- Minimum hourly wage: $7.25
25. Detroit
- Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $19.70
- Minimum hourly wage: $10.33
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