Named for the "Sex and the City" character, the index measures what cities are the most and least affordable for renters who live solo
Brian Ach / Contributor / Getty Images
If you want to live like a character in “Sex and the City,” The Economist’s “Carrie Bradshaw Index” might make you think twice.
Named for the character who lived alone in an apartment many thought was extravagant for a writer, the index ranks 100 major U.S. cities by how affordable they are for a single person to rent a studio apartment.
To make the index, The Economist operated on the assumption that rent should take up less than 30% of a person’s gross income. Using data from rental platform Zumper, it calculated what a person would need to earn to pay for the average studio apartment in each city, then compared that to the city’s median wage.
The publication found that living on your own is getting harder across the board, even in cities once thought of as less expensive.
"While there can be random fluctuations in any rental market, three years of data show how cities that can balance new construction with population and wage growth offer the most affordable options,” The Economist researcher Elizabeth Peet said.
Continue reading to see which cities were ranked the most and least affordable for singles who want to live alone.
Busà Photography / Getty Images
With the average studio costing $2,500 a month and requiring an income of $100,000, Boston ranked as the 5th most unaffordable. The median worker earns about $64,620, giving the city one of the nation’s steepest rent-to-income gaps.
mbell / Getty Images
Charleston’s recent boom has pushed rents well beyond local incomes. The average studio goes for $1,850 monthly, requiring a salary of $74,000 to stay under 30%. But with median wages closer to $47,620, most single residents find solo living difficult.
Alexander Spatari / Getty Images
Jersey City offers proximity to Manhattan — and prices to match. A typical studio costs $2,530 a month, meaning renters need $101,200 annually to stay under the 30% rule. The city’s median wage of $60,460 keeps its affordability firmly out of reach for most singles.
Kofi Oliver / Getty Images
Miami also comes at a steep cost for single renters. With studio rents around $2,140 a month, the city requires an income of $85,600 to live within budget — but the median wage is just $47,920.
Zoran Milich / Getty Images
No surprise here: New York City ranked first. The average New Yorker would need to earn about $151,600 a year to afford a typical studio renting for nearly $3,800 a month — far higher than the city’s median wage of $60,460.
dpavlish / Getty Images
Akron’s low rents and moderate wages make it a strong value for those living alone. A studio costs about $750 monthly, affordable on the median income of $47,530.
Alex Potemkin / Getty Images
Iowa’s capital continues to rank high for renters on a budget. The typical studio rents around $770 per month and median earnings are $50,450.
John Coletti / Getty Images
In Lincoln, the average studio costs $740 monthly, while the median income of $48,860 leaves plenty of financial breathing room.
Walter Bibikow / Getty Images
Louisiana’s capital offers some of the lowest rents in the country, around $700 a month, making it easily affordable on a $47,940 median salary.
Joe Sohm/Visions of America / Getty Images
Wichita took the crown for affordability. The average studio runs just $660 a month, and with a median wage of $46,650, locals earn much more than needed to afford solo housing.
