In this series we have covered the average Income in the USA as well as the average Grocery prices. Now, lets move onto Apartments (note, I will not be going into the housing market as it varies far too much and the condition of the houses opens up too many variables for additional costs).
The quality of an apartment in the USA can vary greatly. To be as accurate as possible I have included only ones that are available for rent at the time this post has been published. These apartments also fit with the ‘ideal apartment’ based on the conversations I have had with people from other countries.
We will be working with a 2-3 bedroom in the Midwest (Like Columbus, OH or Chicago, IL). This is an entire unit rental, not a room share situation. Also, please note, no utilities are included in the rent. Which is why they are stated separately.
Electric. Between $70 and $93. With the average at $82.
Water and Sewer. Approximately $60.
Rental Insurance. Between $12 and $19. With the average at $16.
10 units were selected from various larger cities. Below is the rent for each one.
- $6,150
- $2,671
- $2,295
- $2,900
- $2,725
- $6,209
- $2,581
- $2,345
- $2,270
- $2,639
The average rent for this data set is $3,279. If we add in the average for the utilities, that would bring the rent to $3,437.
Now we will add this into our Income and Grocery totals.
The Average USA Salary $2,586 – $3,437 =$-851
The Average Software Engineer Salary $5,377 – $3,437 =$1,940
As you can see here, the average USA worker can not afford their monthly payments and we have only calculated groceries and rent! Lets move onto a necessity in the USA, a Car.
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