Mapped: 50 U.S. Cities Where You Need a Side Hustle Just To Make Rent

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Written by Ryan Rabasa Last Updated:
Cities where you need a side gig to pay rent.

Here at Wealth Gang, we’re huge side hustle fans.

Whether you’re trying to build a retirement fund that takes full advantage of compounding, pick up some extra spending cash while sharpening your skills, or simply supplement your income to pay the bills: a smart side hustle is a great way to turn extra time into extra cash. Sometimes a lot of cash.

Needing a side hustle to pay the bills isn’t ideal, but in some places it’s necessary. And in other places, it’s very necessary.

Using Side Hustles to Pay Bills

According to a recent survey, nearly half of Americans need a side hustle just to cover basic expenses.

In some areas, the gap between median income and cost of living is unthinkable. Using data from GOBankingRate, we mapped out the cities where this gap is particularly egregious:

Cities where you need a side gig to pay rent.

What stands out to you? Is It the coastal clusters? The huge deficit balloons in southern Florida? Maybe the lack of action across the Pacific Northwest and Big Sky Country?

Finding The Right Side Hustle

If you find yourself in one of these places, it may be time to move to a city that will actually pay you to relocate.

If a move isn’t in the cards, you might be on the hunt for a smart side gig. Here are some ideas we’ve featured over the past month that may be interesting to you:

Happy hustling!

Author
Ryan Rabasa

Ryan Rabasa is an associate editor at Wealth Gang. His passions are technology, writing, business, and media. He won't trust an investment strategy that doesn't incorporate both technical and fundamental analysis.