Minimum wage will not cover the cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Oklahoma.
According to new data released by national nonprofit National Low Income Housing Coalition, a minimum wage worker has to work an average of 88 hours per week to afford a one-bedroom rental apartment in the state.
In Oklahoma, the minimum wage is currently set at $7.25 per hour, which is the same as the federal minimum wage rate. The state hasn't seen an increase in its minimum wage since 2008.
While this exact number fluctuates depending on where you are in the state, all 77 counties in Oklahoma were found to be inaccessible for a minimum wage earner working one full-time job.
Earlier this month, nearly double the necessary signatures were submitted to get an Oklahoma minimum wage increase on the ballot.
The State Chamber of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation challenged the proposed measure, but ultimately the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled it could move forward.
Some of the counties with the most expensive one-bedroom apartment rates are Creek, Osage, Rogers, Oklahoma, Tulsa and Wagoner. In these counties, minimum wage earners have to work more than two full-time jobs at once to afford a one-bedroom – a functionally impossible feat for most.
The signatures collected to raise the minimum wage are in support of State Question 832, which would gradually increase the minimum wage until it reaches $15 an hour in 2029. Then, the minimum wage would increase every following year with the cost of living.
The State Chamber’s executive director, Ben Lepak, said their stance on State Question 832 remains the same.
“This is a disastrous policy that will crush working families through price increases on the heels of record inflation,” Lepak said in a statement. “This ballot initiative is bad for workers, bad for business, and bad for Oklahoma, and we are confident the voters of the State of Oklahoma will concur with our position. We look forward to a vigorous campaign to educate Oklahomans about the initiative that will put corner stores and family farms out of business.”
The collected signatures still need to be verified before residents will get a chance to vote. That process has had delays in the past.
Oklahoma’s unemployment rate is fairly low, at 3.4%. Still, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the workforce in Oklahoma includes at least 248,400 people who are unable to afford rent for a one-bedroom apartment. This number was calculated using the median wages for jobs like fast food and counter workers, security guards, retail salespersons and janitorial workers.
The coalition also found the median renter household income is $42,913 in Oklahoma and $36,250 in non-metropolitan areas.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
