If you dream of having a place all to yourself, where you live might matter more than what you earn. That’s the takeaway from The Economist’s Carrie Bradshaw Index, which ranks 100 U.S. cities by how affordable they are for people who want to live alone. Named after the fiercely independent protagonist of “Sex and the City,” the index shows how many U.S. cities once considered affordable for solo renters are now quickly slipping out of reach.
How the Index Works
To measure affordability, the report follows a simple rule of thumb: Rent should not exceed 30% of a tenant’s gross income. Using data from the rental platform Zumper, the publication calculated the annual salary needed to afford a typical studio apartment in each major city. It then compared that figure with local median wages to generate a “Bradshaw score.”
A Bradshaw score above one means the average worker can reasonably afford to live alone; a score below one means even a modest studio stretches the average paycheck too thin. The results show how dramatically affordability can vary from state to state.
Where Living Alone Is Becoming a Luxury
In New York City, for example, a shoebox — ahem, we mean studio apartment — now costs a staggering $3,790 per month, requiring an annual income of roughly $151,600 to stay within budget. By comparison, a typical studio in Las Vegas rents for under $1,000 a month, meaning a salary of about $40,000 should cover it without being stretched too thin.
Nationwide, the report found that 41 cities are now unaffordable for solo renters, up from 38 last year. Some of the steepest declines are happening in Texas. Both Houston and Dallas, which were considered affordable last year, have dropped below the threshold. In Austin, rent for a studio has shot up 25% to $1,580, which would require a yearly salary of more than $63,000 — roughly $10,000 higher than the city’s median wage.
Meanwhile, Memphis, Tennessee, saw one of the sharpest declines in the country. The city’s Bradshaw score plunged from 1.5 to just under one, as average studio rents climbed from $745 to nearly $1,200 a month. Slow construction for new rentals coupled with growing demand have driven up prices faster than local wages can keep pace with, the report notes. “There is also random variation in what goes on the rental market year to year,” it adds.
Where Budget-Conscious Carries Can Still Thrive
Thankfully, the news isn’t all grim. Some smaller and mid-sized cities have become more affordable over the past year, thanks to modest dips in rent and stronger wage growth. The report highlights Tallahassee, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; and Aurora, Colorado, as cities where the balance has improved.
Knoxville, Tennessee, even flipped from “unaffordable to affordable territory,” the report found. With a median wage of $45,460 and an average studio rent of $970 per month, Knoxville’s Bradshaw score now tops one, meaning most residents should be able to comfortably afford to live there alone.
Meanwhile, Wichita, Kansas, holds onto its title as the most affordable city in America for solo renters, with a Bradshaw score around 1.75. In other words, the median wage in Wichita is about 75% higher than what’s needed to afford an average studio apartment. Sure, it might not come with New York City’s glitzy nightlife or Austin’s famous BBQ, but it offers something arguably more valuable: Financial breathing room.
The Bottom Line
The 2025 Carrie Bradshaw Index underscores a growing truth about urban America: Living solo now carries a premium. Rents in many Southern and more rural areas — once magnets for affordability — are rising faster than wages. And while higher-earning professionals have more wiggle room by having the flexibility to work remote or chase opportunities across states, lower-income singles are finding themselves priced out of living alone altogether.
For those dreaming of a Carrie Bradshaw-style apartment with no roommates and a walk-in closet, the dream isn’t dead — but it may require packing up for places like Wichita or Knoxville instead of Dallas or Austin.
Quick Snapshot
Top 5 Most Affordable Cities for Solo Renters:
- Wichita, Kansas: Bradshaw score of 1.75
- Knoxville, Tennessee: Rent around $970 per month
- Tallahassee, Florida: Wages rising, while rent is falling
- Phoenix, Arizona: Strong wage growth and stable rent
- Aurora, Colorado: Improved affordability since 2024
Top 5 Least Affordable Cities for Solo Renters:
- New York City: Average rent for a studio is $3,790 per month
- San Francisco, California: Studios pushing $3,000 per month
- Boston, Massachusetts: Strong demand keeps prices high
- Los Angeles, California: Wages lag behind sky-high rent prices
- Austin, Texas: Rent prices jumped 25% year-over-year
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