Can I afford $1000 rent making $20 an hour?

Step 1: Figure out your monthly income

$20/hour × 40 hours/week = $800/week
$800/week × 4.33 weeks/month ≈ $3,466/month (before taxes)

Step 2: The “30% rule” for rent

Financial advisors often suggest keeping rent at 30% or less of your gross income:

30% of $3,466 ≈ $1,040

So $1,000 rent is right at the recommended limit. ✅

Step 3: Consider taxes and expenses

After taxes, your take-home pay will likely be around $2,700–$2,900/month (depending on your state, benefits, etc.).

Rent: $1,000
Leftover: $1,700–$1,900

That has to cover food, transportation, insurance, debt, savings, and fun money.

Bottom line:

Yes, you can afford $1,000 rent on $20/hr, but it’ll be a tight budget if you also have car payments, student loans, or other big expenses. If you keep debt low and budget carefully, it’s doable.