Which US cities are affordable for solo renters?

The Economist’s third annual “Carrie Bradshaw index,” which ranks US cities based on how affordable it is for a single person to rent a studio apartment, was released recently, and more have become unaffordable this year.

The index is named after the popular Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker), who lives alone in New York City’s opulent West Village on a writer’s salary. The juxtaposition of the scenario prompted The Economist to give the name.

How it works
Using the rule that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income. Data from Zumper, the index assigns each city a “Bradshaw score,” where a value above 1 indicates that an average studio is affordable.

This year, 41 cities were classified as unaffordable, up from 38 last year. Texas cities —Dallas, Houston, and Austin —shifted from affordable to unaffordable due to rising rents and an influx of middle-class workers.

Wichita, Kansas, ranked as the most affordable city with a Bradshaw score of about 1.75.

This means median wages there are 75% higher than what’s required to afford an average studio. The city’s average studio rent is $580 per month.

Residents need to earn $26,400 annually to afford a studio, which is $20,250 less than the city’s median wage. 

Apart from Wichita, the nine most affordable US cities for solo renters are Baton Rouge, Lincoln, Des Moines, Akron, Tucson, Tulsa, St. Louis, Albuquerque, and Aurora.