Cities Where Your Stimulus Checks Cover More of Your Rent

Lesly Gregory

4.24.2020 Research

Stimulus checks are popping up in checking accounts across the country. This means you could be getting a financial boost during this very uncertain time during the coronavirus pandemic to help reduce the burden of everyday living.

There are a lot of caveats in the CARES Act that spell out how much each person gets. In general, most individuals are eligible for a $1,200 payment, while married couples who filed their 2019 taxes jointly, will get $2,400. Children under 16 net you an extra $500 per child.

You can end up with a sizable amount of money to help make a dent in your monthly bills. If you’ve lost your job, it may be enough to cover expenses until unemployment kicks into gear. But how far stimulus checks will go is really dependent on where you live.

Covering rent with your stimulus check

Are you a party of one or two? The distance your stimulus check goes to help pay large expenses like rent is dependent on where you live and how much you’re getting. As a single person, you may have enough for one month, with a little left over.

As a couple, or if you’re in a living situation with roommates, you may stretch stimulus checks a little further. Applying the money to rent can help delay the need for rental assistance while giving you a bit of a financial break in covering your usual expenses.

One-bedroom apartments

Looking at the average rents in 100 of the most populated cities in the U.S., a single stimulus check will cover a month’s rent in about 38 of them. If you can add up to $100 of your own money, then that number goes up to 46 cities.

If you’re a married couple living in a one-bedroom apartment, there are 88 cities where your check would cover the rent for one, maybe two, months.

The South takes the lead with the most cities that have an average monthly rent of less than $1,200. Tulsa, OK tops the list with an average one-bedroom costing only $688 a month. Other Southern cities in the top 10 include Lubbock and El Paso, TX, Greensboro, NC and Oklahoma City.
San Antonio, TX is the most populated city with an average monthly rent less than the standard stimulus check. It just makes the cut at $1,131. This is good news for the percentage of the 1.5 million residents who rent. All of which are patiently waiting for the Alamo, River Walk and authentic Mexican restaurants the city is known for, to reopen.
For couples sharing a one-bedroom, having double the stimulus checks to apply to rent opens up the ability to live somewhere a little more expensive. Cities like Phoenix, Dallas, New Orleans, Sacramento and Philadelphia all have average monthly rents coming in below $2,400, but above $1,200.

Curious to see where your city lands? This is where your stimulus check will go the furthest in paying rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the 100 most populated cities.

Rank	City	State	Average Rent (1BR)	Percentage of Rent Covered By $1,200 Check	Percentage of Rent Covered By $2,400 Check
1	Tulsa	OK	$688	174%	349%
2	Lubbock	TX	$717	167%	335%
3	Toledo	OH	$770	156%	312%
4	Wichita	KS	$805	149%	298%
5	Fort Wayne	IN	$807	149%	297%
6	Tucson	AZ	$808	149%	297%
7	Albuquerque	NM	$856	140%	280%
8	El Paso	TX	$865	139%	277%
9	Greensboro	NC	$883	136%	272%
10	Oklahoma City	OK	$884	136%	271%
11	Lexington	KY	$928	129%	259%
12	Memphis	TN	$933	129%	257%
13	Omaha	NE	$937	128%	256%
14	Corpus Christi	TX	$944	127%	254%
15	North Las Vegas	NV	$945	127%	254%
16	Lincoln	NE	$986	122%	243%
17	Arlington	TX	$992	121%	242%
18	Baton Rouge	LA	$1,003	120%	239%
19	Buffalo	NY	$1,026	117%	234%
20	Glendale	AZ	$1,041	115%	231%
21	Cincinnati	OH	$1,044	115%	230%
22	Columbus	OH	$1,054	114%	228%
23	Bakersfield	CA	$1,064	113%	226%
24	Des Moines	IA	$1,067	112%	225%
25	Indianapolis	IN	$1,071	112%	224%
26	Garland	TX	$1,071	112%	224%
27	Mesa	AZ	$1,074	112%	223%
28	Las Vegas	NV	$1,100	109%	218%
29	Richmond	VA	$1,104	109%	217%
30	Louisville	KY	$1,128	106%	213%
31	San Antonio	TX	$1,131	106%	212%
32	Spokane	WA	$1,168	103%	205%
33	Jacksonville	FL	$1,181	102%	203%
34	Madison	WI	$1,193	101%	201%
35	Stockton	CA	$1,196	100%	201%
36	Virginia Beach	VA	$1,204	100%	199%
37	Fresno	CA	$1,205	100%	199%
38	Raleigh	NC	$1,206	100%	199%
39	Anchorage	AK	$1,212	99%	198%
40	Durham	NC	$1,216	99%	197%
41	Gilbert	AZ	$1,221	98%	197%
42	Kansas City	MO	$1,238	97%	194%
43	Houston	TX	$1,243	97%	193%
44	Boise	ID	$1,263	95%	190%
45	Colorado Springs	CO	$1,277	94%	188%
46	Norfolk	VA	$1,316	91%	182%
47	Fort Worth	TX	$1,318	91%	182%
48	Saint Louis	MO	$1,325	91%	181%
49	Charlotte	NC	$1,337	90%	180%
50	Chesapeake	VA	$1,357	88%	177%
51	Hialeah	FL	$1,361	88%	176%
52	Phoenix	AZ	$1,390	86%	173%
53	Milwaukee	WI	$1,403	86%	171%
54	Chandler	AZ	$1,407	85%	171%
55	Reno	NV	$1,407	85%	171%
56	Irving	TX	$1,414	85%	170%
57	Henderson	NV	$1,415	85%	170%
58	Cleveland	OH	$1,429	84%	168%
59	Saint Paul	MN	$1,443	83%	166%
60	Tampa	FL	$1,477	81%	162%
61	Dallas	TX	$1,506	80%	159%
62	Austin	TX	$1,507	80%	159%
63	Minneapolis	MN	$1,518	79%	158%
64	Orlando	FL	$1,532	78%	157%
65	New Orleans	LA	$1,552	77%	155%
66	Aurora	CO	$1,568	77%	153%
67	Saint Petersburg	FL	$1,568	77%	153%
68	Plano	TX	$1,575	76%	152%
69	Tacoma	WA	$1,575	76%	152%
70	Pittsburgh	PA	$1,609	75%	149%
71	Detroit	MI	$1,641	73%	146%
72	Sacramento	CA	$1,658	72%	145%
73	Atlanta	GA	$1,707	70%	141%
74	Riverside	CA	$1,721	70%	139%
75	Baltimore	MD	$1,722	70%	139%
76	Nashville	TN	$1,759	68%	136%
77	Scottsdale	AZ	$1,798	67%	133%
78	Portland	OR	$1,897	63%	127%
79	Santa Ana	CA	$1,964	61%	122%
80	Denver	CO	$1,992	60%	120%
81	Philadelphia	PA	$2,116	57%	113%
82	Honolulu	HI	$2,142	56%	112%
83	Chula Vista	CA	$2,163	55%	111%
84	Anaheim	CA	$2,176	55%	110%
85	Newark	NJ	$2,291	52%	105%
86	Fremont	CA	$2,333	51%	103%
87	Chicago	IL	$2,388	50%	101%
88	San Diego	CA	$2,512	48%	96%
89	Miami	FL	$2,561	47%	94%
90	Seattle	WA	$2,585	46%	93%
91	Irvine	CA	$2,680	45%	90%
92	Long Beach	CA	$2,742	44%	88%
93	Washington	DC	$2,766	43%	87%
94	Jersey City	NJ	$3,007	40%	80%
95	San Jose	CA	$3,128	38%	77%
96	Los Angeles	CA	$3,269	37%	73%
97	Oakland	CA	$3,346	36%	72%
98	Boston	MA	$3,760	32%	64%
99	New York	NY	$4,275	28%	56%
100	San Francisco	CA	$4,704	26%	51%

Two-bedroom apartments

If you happen to live alone in a two-bedroom, not to worry. There are 18 cities out of the 100 most populated in the U.S. that have average monthly rents of less than $1,200. If there are two of you picking up the tab, that number jumps to 77 cities.

Number 77 is Atlanta, and at only $2,233 on average for rent, you still have enough left over to order delivery from your favorite restaurant.

It’s the South and Midwest that offer the best average monthly rent for two-bedroom apartments. Wichita, KS ranks No. 1 with an average rent of only $827. With $2,400 in stimulus money, that’s almost three months’ rent, should you need it.
Houston is the largest city in the country where two people sharing a two-bedroom apartment can get a month’s worth of rent from their $2,400 in stimulus money. The average two-bedroom apartment there is about $1,650, so you’ll even have money left over.
Even a little break is better than nothing if you live in the most expensive U.S. cities. Los Angeles, New York, Boston and San Francisco residents can use their $2,400 stimulus checks to pay up to 44 percent of a month’s rent in a two-bedroom apartment.

A second bedroom opens up a lot of space but generally is more expensive. Here’s a look at how much rent relief you’ll get from stimulus checks in the 100 most populated cities.

Rank	City	State	Avereage Rent (2BR)	Percentage of Rent Covered By $1,200 Check	Percentage of Rent Covered By $2,400 Check
1	Wichita	KS	$827	145%	290%
2	Tulsa	OK	$900	133%	267%
3	Toledo	OH	$924	130%	260%
4	Lubbock	TX	$929	129%	258%
5	Albuquerque	NM	$998	120%	240%
6	El Paso	TX	$1,001	120%	240%
7	Bakersfield	CA	$1,005	119%	239%
8	Memphis	TN	$1,014	118%	237%
9	Tucson	AZ	$1,020	118%	235%
10	Fort Wayne	IN	$1,039	115%	231%
11	Des Moines	IA	$1,042	115%	230%
12	North Las Vegas	NV	$1,044	115%	230%
13	Oklahoma City	OK	$1,056	114%	227%
14	Greensboro	NC	$1,071	112%	224%
15	Lincoln	NE	$1,120	107%	214%
16	Lexington	KY	$1,155	104%	208%
17	Baton Rouge	LA	$1,162	103%	207%
18	Omaha	NE	$1,184	101%	203%
19	Corpus Christi	TX	$1,207	99%	199%
20	Louisville	KY	$1,270	94%	189%
21	Richmond	VA	$1,280	94%	188%
22	Indianapolis	IN	$1,294	93%	185%
23	Columbus	OH	$1,302	92%	184%
24	Las Vegas	NV	$1,315	91%	183%
25	Virginia Beach	VA	$1,317	91%	182%
26	Spokane	WA	$1,317	91%	182%
27	Jacksonville	FL	$1,325	91%	181%
28	Arlington	TX	$1,331	90%	180%
29	Mesa	AZ	$1,333	90%	180%
30	Raleigh	NC	$1,367	88%	176%
31	Fresno	CA	$1,395	86%	172%
32	Boise	ID	$1,403	86%	171%
33	Chesapeake	VA	$1,409	85%	170%
34	Gilbert	AZ	$1,410	85%	170%
35	San Antonio	TX	$1,422	84%	169%
36	Anchorage	AK	$1,433	84%	167%
37	Buffalo	NY	$1,441	83%	167%
38	Cincinnati	OH	$1,442	83%	166%
39	Stockton	CA	$1,453	83%	165%
40	Durham	NC	$1,455	82%	165%
41	Saint Louis	MO	$1,462	82%	164%
42	Glendale	AZ	$1,498	80%	160%
43	Milwaukee	WI	$1,508	80%	159%
44	Norfolk	VA	$1,517	79%	158%
45	Madison	WI	$1,536	78%	156%
46	Colorado Springs	CO	$1,538	78%	156%
47	Kansas City	MO	$1,544	78%	155%
48	Garland	TX	$1,553	77%	155%
49	Charlotte	NC	$1,578	76%	152%
50	Henderson	NV	$1,588	76%	151%
51	Fort Worth	TX	$1,632	74%	147%
52	Houston	TX	$1,644	73%	146%
53	Reno	NV	$1,647	73%	146%
54	Chandler	AZ	$1,688	71%	142%
55	Phoenix	AZ	$1,707	70%	141%
56	Irving	TX	$1,765	68%	136%
57	Tacoma	WA	$1,770	68%	136%
58	Hialeah	FL	$1,773	68%	135%
59	Honolulu	HI	$1,806	66%	133%
60	Austin	TX	$1,813	66%	132%
61	Aurora	CO	$1,822	66%	132%
62	Baltimore	MD	$1,830	66%	131%
63	Orlando	FL	$1,850	65%	130%
64	Tampa	FL	$1,870	64%	128%
65	Pittsburgh	PA	$1,891	63%	127%
66	Saint Petersburg	FL	$1,923	62%	125%
67	Saint Paul	MN	$1,936	62%	124%
68	Sacramento	CA	$1,957	61%	123%
69	Detroit	MI	$2,030	59%	118%
70	Dallas	TX	$2,049	59%	117%
71	Cleveland	OH	$2,055	58%	117%
72	Riverside	CA	$2,091	57%	115%
73	Plano	TX	$2,134	56%	112%
74	Nashville	TN	$2,136	56%	112%
75	Minneapolis	MN	$2,147	56%	112%
76	New Orleans	LA	$2,176	55%	110%
77	Atlanta	GA	$2,233	54%	107%
78	Portland	OR	$2,451	49%	98%
79	Santa Ana	CA	$2,479	48%	97%
80	Scottsdale	AZ	$2,543	47%	94%
81	Anaheim	CA	$2,616	46%	92%
82	Denver	CO	$2,735	44%	88%
83	Newark	NJ	$2,754	44%	87%
84	Miami	FL	$2,889	42%	83%
85	Philadelphia	PA	$2,898	41%	83%
86	Chula Vista	CA	$2,969	40%	81%
87	Fremont	CA	$3,018	40%	80%
88	Chicago	IL	$3,193	38%	75%
89	San Diego	CA	$3,277	37%	73%
90	Irvine	CA	$3,292	36%	73%
91	San Jose	CA	$3,667	33%	65%
92	Washington	DC	$3,694	32%	65%
93	Long Beach	CA	$3,748	32%	64%
94	Seattle	WA	$3,996	30%	60%
95	Jersey City	NJ	$4,168	29%	58%
96	Oakland	CA	$4,347	28%	55%
97	Los Angeles	CA	$4,655	26%	52%
98	New York	NY	$5,416	22%	44%
99	Boston	MA	$5,454	22%	44%
100	San Francisco	CA	$5,482	22%	44%

Getting paid

If you received your previous tax refund through direct deposit, that’s most likely how you’ll get your stimulus check. It’s also the fastest method of delivery, and many people have already had their checks pop up in their accounts.

The alternative option is getting your check through the mail, but this takes longer. You can check on the status of stimulus checks on the IRS website.

Making the most of stimulus checks

However you decide to spend your stimulus check, putting it back into the economy in some way is what the money is all about. “The objective of a stimulus package is to reinvigorate the economy and prevent or reverse a recession by boosting employment and spending,” says Adam Hayes from Investopedia.

Whether that means you cover rent, pay your bills, treat yourself to an Amazon splurge or spend a little extra on groceries, putting that money out there helps everyone. Get out there and give the economy a little boost and yourself a break.

Rent prices are based on a rolling weighted average from Apartment Guide and Rent.’s multifamily rental property inventory from March 2019 to March 2020. We use a weighted average formula that more accurately represents price availability for each individual unit type and reduces the influence of seasonality on rent prices in specific markets.

Lesly Gregory has over 15 years of marketing experience, ranging from community management to blogging to creating marketing collateral for a variety of industries. A graduate of Boston University, Lesly holds a B.S. in Journalism. She currently lives in Atlanta with her husband, two young children, three cats and assorted fish.