U.S. rental costs have risen as much as 50% in the past 10 years, according to data from the Federal Reserve’s Consumer Price Index — and salaries have not kept pace with rental prices in many places.
This makes the rule of finding an apartment that is one quarter of your income nearly impossible in expensive cities such as Miami, New York and Los Angeles, even when you earn a good salary.
However, in some places, the rent-to-income ratio is better than in others and can be slightly higher, at 15% to 17%. GOBankingRates rounded up data to show how income stacks up against rental prices, from highest to lowest. These data points are based on April 2026 rent-to-income ratio from Wallet Hub, average monthly rent from Zillow and average household income from IncomebyZipcode.com.
Here are 10 of the best places where salaries have kept up with rent in 2026.
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Overland Park, KS
- Rent to income ratio: 17.34%
- Average monthly rent: $2,000
- Average household income: $141,150 to $241,167
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Anchorage, AK
- Rent to income ratio: 17.30%
- Average monthly rent: $1,850
- Average household income: $132,200 to $218,314
Casper, WY
- Rent to income ratio: 17.24%
- Average monthly rent: $1,200
- Average household income: $81,735 to $112,006
Juneau, AK
- Rent to income ratio: 17.04%
- Average monthly rent: $1,800
- Average household income: $128,599 to $130, 271
Cheyenne, WY
- Rent to income ratio: 17.02%
- Average monthly rent: $1,525
- Average household income: $80,756 to $99,407
Fargo, ND
- Rent to income ratio: 16.94%
- Average monthly rent: $925
- Average household income: $84,785 to $273,359
Charleston, WV
- Rent to income ratio: 16.56%
- Average monthly rent: $975
- Average household income: $84,041 to $138,703
Cedar Rapids, IA
- Rent to income ratio: 16.48%
- Average monthly rent: $1,152
- Average household income: $93,772 to $104,478
Sioux Falls, SD
- Rent to income ratio: 16.35%
- Average monthly rent: $1,135
- Average household income: $98,002 to $132,275
Bismarck, ND
- Rent to income ratio: 15.29%
- Average monthly rent: $1,299
- Average household income: $101,767 to $110,470
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Best Places To Live Where Salaries Have Kept Up With Rent in 2026
