Rental Costs In Connecticut Among  Highest In The Country

HARTFORD (AP) — A national study shows that Connecticut is an expensive place to rent an apartment and the Stamford-Norwalk area is one of the most expensive in the country. The area was ranked the second-least affordable housing rental market in the country this year, right behind San Francisco, according to a study released Monday by the Connecticut Housing Coalition.

The study done by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that 52 percent of renters in the Stamford-Norwalk area cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rate, the average rent for an apartment and utilities in an area.

Stamford-Norwalk area residents working 40 hours per week must earn $27.63 per hour to rent a two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30 percent of their gross income, the report found. The national average is $15.37.