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It seems the author is comparing a minimum (wage) to an average (rent). Is this the right comparison to determine affordability?

I support raising minimum wage but potentially problematic comparisons may not be helpful.

Maybe someone who knows more about this kind of data can add context?

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I think to be more precise, the headline should read:

"Minimum wage workers can not afford renting a two-bedroom home at fair market rent using 30% of their income"

That feels drastically different than the current headline.

Is rent really a bell curve? In my experience it’s a very asymmetric shape, with the median (not average) being extremely close to the bottom of what’s available. In my experience the median rent is basically the same as the minimum rent.

But yes, average is the wrong metric here.

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