Hawaiʻi has the highest housing wage in the U.S.

Hawaiʻi has the highest housing wage in the country, according to a new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

For the “Out of Reach” report, NLIHC researchers analyzed rent prices in all 50 states to determine how much was needed to rent a two-bedroom apartment at fair market value without spending more than 30 percent of one’s income. The Aloha State came in at No.1 with a housing wage of $38.76 an hour, according to the report.

Researchers also found that those getting paid minimum wage in Hawaiʻi would need to work approximately 153 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom apartment, which costs about $2,015 per month to rent.

“This report comes out every year and we are consistently the state with the highest rent in the nation,” said Nicole Woo, senior policy analyst with the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, in an interview with Pacific Business News. “One of the issues is that we have one of the lowest property taxes in the nation, which may contribute to the decision many make to buy a home here and leave it empty for most of the year. Making it more attractive for people to rent to longterm renters instead could make more homes available.”