How Much Do You Need to Make An Hour to Afford Rent in Texas in 2019?

The unfortunate reality is that in no state can a full-time employee at minimum wage afford rent for a two-bedroom apartment. So how much do you have to make an hour to afford a home for your family in Texas?

According to CityLab, in 2018 it would take a worker at minimum wage working 122 hours to afford a regular two-bedroom apartment. In 2019, that number rose to 127 hours. However, if that worker was looking for a one-bedroom apartment, they'd only have to work 103 hours a week.

Looking at Fair Market Rent in each state, which considers fair rent to make up no more than 30% of a worker's wages, in only 28 states can a full-time minimum-wage worker afford a one-bedroom apartment. While many states have minimum wages higher than the nationally mandated $7.25 per hour, no state has a minimum wage high enough to support a family.

When looking at how much someone would have to make per hour for full-time work to afford a two-bedroom apartment, Texas is in the middle of pack coming in as the 20th most expensive state, but it is still nearly three-times the state's minimum wage, which matches the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour:

Do you think its time for Texas to raise its minimum wage? Sound off in the comments!