With escalating rental costs, the once-idealized notion of independent living, marked by enjoying your initial bowl of noodles in a bare apartment, has recently begun to seem like a bygone fantasy.
TL;DR
- The Carrie Bradshaw Index ranks cities by solo living affordability using a 30% income rule.
- Wichita, Kansas, is the most affordable city for independent living, with rent significantly below median earnings.
- Baton Rouge, Lincoln, Des Moines, and Akron are also budget-friendly choices for solo renters.
- New York City, Miami, Jersey City, Charleston, and Boston are among the least affordable cities for singles.
But now, the rent-burdened generation may see some hope.
The “Carrie Bradshaw Index,” (named after the fictional Sex and the City character), released by The Economist, ranks 100 of the country’s major cities by affordability for people who are chasing that solo-living dream, from the most expensive to the least.
To measure affordability, they used a rule that the tenant should spend no more than 30% of their gross income on rent, a recommendation which has been more or less not followed now by Gen Z).
Then, the study used online rental marketplace Zumper to calculate the rent price and salary needed to afford a studio apartment in the city that was measured. The city was then ranked from more than one (which meant the home was affordable) and less than one (where it was unaffordable).
The most economical choices narrowed down to these spots
For the second consecutive year, Wichita, Kansas, achieved a score near 1.75. While it might not be the initial city that comes to mind for solo living, it stands out as one of the few places where median earnings, reported at $58,000 annually by The Bureau of Labor Statistics, surpass the cost of a typical studio apartment by 75%.
Here are the five most budget-friendly choices, based on data from Zumper’s regarding the typical price of a studio dwelling, and the necessary income calculated by the 30% earnings guideline The Economist employs in its research.
1) Wichita, Kansas
Average rent: $585
Required income: $23,400
2) Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Average rent: $715
Required income: $28,600
3) Lincoln, Nebraska
Average rent: $715
Required income: $28,600
4) Des Moines, Iowa
Average rent: $735
Required income: $29,400
5) Akron, Ohio
Average rent: $725
Required income: $29,000
Areas too expensive for solo travelers
It may not surprise you, but New York City was ranked as one of the least affordable places for singles looking to live alone in 2025. On average, the median rent for an apartment is $3,811, which requires earners to rack in more than six-figures, $91,140 above the median wage.
1) New York, New York
Average rent: $3,811
Required income: $152,440
2) Miami, Florida
Average rent: $2,100
Required income: $84,000
3) Jersey City, New Jersey
Average rent: $3,036
Required income: $121,440
4) Charleston, South Carolina
Average rent: $1,663
Required income: $66,520
5) Boston, Massachusetts
Average rent: $2,500
Required income: $100,000