Rent was "too damn high" 12 years ago and has only ballooned since. It's increased so much that renters in the U.S. now have to work an additional six hours more than before the pandemic in order to afford the average monthly rent, according to Zillow.
Rent in the U.S. has risen roughly 36% over the last five years, sitting now at an average $2,040 a month across the country, the real estate company reported. In the same timeframe, wages have only increased by 23%.
