Where registered nurses keep the most after rent
21 large metros ranked by how much of a median registered nurse's take-home pay goes to a one-bedroom at HUD Fair Market Rent. BLS occupation code 29-1141; national median $97,550.
Detroit comes out on top. Median pay of $97,280 against a $1,167 one-bedroom leaves $5,272 a month after rent. At the bottom is Boston, where rent takes 36% of take-home pay. The highest-paying metro, San Francisco ($186,610), ranks 3 of 21 once rent is counted.
1-bedroom rent as a share of take-home pay
Full table
| # | Metro | Median pay | vs. U.S. | 1BR rent | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left / mo | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | $97,280 | −0% | $1,167 | 25.0 h | 18% | $5,272 | 44,310 |
| 2 | Houston | $99,830 | +2% | $1,261 | 26.3 h | 19% | $5,327 | 65,910 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $186,610 | +91% | $2,290 | 25.5 h | 20% | $9,289 | 41,750 |
| 4 | Riverside–San Bernardino | $133,940 | +37% | $1,705 | 26.5 h | 20% | $6,863 | 35,290 |
| 5 | Minneapolis–St. Paul | $103,040 | +6% | $1,427 | 28.8 h | 21% | $5,350 | 43,600 |
| 6 | Phoenix | $100,830 | +3% | $1,493 | 30.8 h | 22% | $5,154 | 53,700 |
| 7 | Dallas–Fort Worth | $101,420 | +4% | $1,536 | 31.5 h | 23% | $5,146 | 76,680 |
| 8 | Philadelphia | $101,180 | +4% | $1,558 | 32.0 h | 23% | $5,110 | 73,790 |
| 9 | Atlanta | $100,490 | +3% | $1,619 | 33.5 h | 24% | $5,008 | 56,460 |
| 10 | Baltimore | $99,550 | +2% | $1,625 | 34.0 h | 25% | $4,947 | 30,930 |
| 11 | San Diego | $139,520 | +43% | $2,335 | 34.8 h | 26% | $6,551 | 28,680 |
| 12 | Seattle | $128,260 | +31% | $2,180 | 35.4 h | 26% | $6,064 | 39,900 |
| 13 | Chicago | $100,490 | +3% | $1,780 | 36.8 h | 27% | $4,847 | 100,240 |
| 14 | Denver | $101,130 | +4% | $1,831 | 37.7 h | 27% | $4,834 | 30,380 |
| 15 | Los Angeles | $135,560 | +39% | $2,402 | 36.9 h | 28% | $6,258 | 109,360 |
| 16 | Tampa | $85,470 | −12% | $1,648 | 40.1 h | 29% | $4,099 | 38,720 |
| 17 | Orlando | $83,550 | −14% | $1,726 | 43.0 h | 31% | $3,908 | 30,150 |
| 18 | Washington, DC | $102,710 | +5% | $2,204 | 44.6 h | 33% | $4,553 | 46,830 |
| 19 | Miami | $91,380 | −6% | $2,121 | 48.3 h | 35% | $3,972 | 61,670 |
| 20 | New York | $119,720 | +23% | $2,729 | 47.4 h | 35% | $5,025 | 197,740 |
| 21 | Boston | $106,180 | +9% | $2,518 | 49.3 h | 36% | $4,443 | 64,240 |
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25nat.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.