Fort Worth is the most affordable city in Texas for new graduates, young professionals and anyone else trying to stretch their income by spending less on rent, according to a new study.
Fort Worth ranked seventh in the national ranking of top 25 cities where renters have the most disposable income left after paying rent, according to results of a study by the website BusinessStudent.com, a forum for information, ideas and career tips for business students and young professionals.
The average salary for the top 25 is $72,230 and the average amount left after paying rent is 81 percent.
Texas is the leader in affordability with College Station, Irving, Dallas and Houston also ranking in the top 25.
The ranking was determined by comparing salaries for more than 100 business jobs on Indeed.com with monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment across the U.S. with data from Rentjungle.com.
Fort Worth’s ranking is based on an average annual salary of $75,797 and an average rent of $1,108. The amount after rent of $26,501 leaves 82 percent of income remaining for other spending.
The most affordable place to live is Tulsa, Okla., where average salary is $68,147, average rent is $863 and 85 percent of income leftover, according to the study.
Other top affordable cities include Oklahoma City, Lexington, Ky., Las Vegas, Memphis, and Columbia, S.C.
College Station ranked 18th with 80 percent of income left from an average salary of $55,086 and rent of $906. Irving ranked 21nd with 79 percent of incoming remaining for an average salary of $77,527 and rent of $1,327.
Dallas, at 22nd, and Houston at 24th, also had 79 percent of income remaining after rent. The average Dallas salary is $82,609 and rent is $1,422; Houston’s average salary is $79,575 and rent is $1,409.
Dallas’ rent is the highest among all the cities in the top 25, according to the study.