The average Austin worker has to put in 59.8 hours per month to keep up with rent, according to a new study by money-management advice site SmartAsset.
The study looks at data on typical working hours, incomes, and rents for the 15 largest cities in the United States. It found that, on average, Austin workers make approximately $17.52 per hour, the fourth-highest estimated hourly wage in the study.
The relatively high wages create somewhat of an equilibrium with rent costs (currently the median is $1,050 monthly), meaning rent is still considered affordable for the average Austinite.
Austin ranked 13th overall in the study, meaning only renters in Phoenix, Ariz., Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Ind., work fewer hours monthly to pay for housing.
Predictably, Californians and New Yorkers have to put in the most hours, according to SmartAsset. Places one through five are occupied by Los Angeles, San Jose, New York City, San Diego, and San Francisco, respectively.
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