Rent Affordability in Wilkes-Barre, PA on $30k
At $30,000/yr, median rent would be about 35.68% of gross income. This falls in the “Moderate burden” bucket, and the recommended rent ceiling at this salary is $750/mo. In this area (mid-range), the model’s rent math puts housing in a “Tight” bucket: rent tends to squeeze the budget and rent (housing) is the main lever in the estimates.
Cost-of-living tier: moderate
What drives the budget here?
This area is generally mid-range based on a cost-of-living index of 100 (U.S. average = 100). Typical rent-to-gross is in the Tight range (using the page’s rent and income inputs).
In the site’s estimated monthly breakdown, the largest category is Rent (housing) (892/mo), so that’s the biggest lever for moving the overall budget up or down.
Practical next steps
- Housing is consuming a large share of income here. Aim for rent closer to the 25–30% target (≈ up to 750/mo for the median household income).
- In this area, the modeled rent target is reachable at (or below) the local median income level.
Your budget
Monthly gross: $2,500 · After-tax (est.): $1,951.33
30% rule threshold: $750/mo max rent
Median rent in Wilkes-Barre
1BR: $798/mo · 2BR: $986/mo · Midpoint: $892/mo
Rent burden (rent as % of gross): 35.68%
Verdict: Moderate burden
Median rent is $142 above your 30% max.
Recommended rent range
$625 – $750/mo (25–30% of gross)