The average Hawaii County renter earns less than half of the income needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment, newly released data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows. ADVERTISING The average Hawaii County renter earns less than half of
The average Hawaii County renter earns less than half of the income needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment, newly released data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows.
The state-by-state “Out of Reach 2016” report, which was released Wednesday, shows renters in the county — which is around 34 percent of residents — earn a mean hourly wage of $10.45, which is enough to afford a unit up to $543 per month.
A one-bedroom unit on the island runs around $966 per month on average, which would require an hourly wage of $18.58. And a two-bedroom runs around $1,194 — necessitating a wage of $22.96. That’s slightly higher than last year, when $22.13 per hour would have secured a two-bedroom home in the county.
The state as a whole features the most expensive rental market in the country, the report showed. Hawaii renters earn $14.53 per hour on average, which is nearly $20 less than what’s needed to afford a two-bedroom unit.
Comparative to the rest of the state, the Big Island is still a deal. Hawaii as a whole ranked the most expensive state in the nation. Renters statewide earn $14.53 per hour, which is nearly $20 less than what’s needed to afford a two-bedroom house. Honolulu County has the highest prices in the state — a two-bedroom house in county requires an hourly wage of $38.17.
Minimum wage in Hawaii is $8.50 per hour, though it’s set to increase to $9.25 in January and $10.10 the year after. At the current minimum, one would need to work 87 hours per week to afford a one-bedroom place, the report shows, and 108 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom.
