Story at a glance

• Rents surged 30.4% nationwide between 2019 and 2023, while wages rose 20.2% over the same period, according to a recent analysis by Zillow and StreetEasy.

• Since 2019, rents have outpaced wages in 44 of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, with renters in some cities faring much worse than others.

• The difference is especially stark in Florida, which became a migration hot spot in recent years.

(NewsNation) — American workers have seen their paychecks grow since the pandemic but in most cities, those gains haven't kept up with rent prices.

Rents surged 30.4% nationwide between 2019 and 2023, while wages rose 20.2% over the same period, according to a recent analysis by Zillow and StreetEasy.

The ten-point gap underscores the frustration many Americans are feeling after watching their wage gains get eaten away by inflation.

“Every month you just gotta budget and then you still fall short,” Caitlyn Colbert, a single mom from Denver, told the Associated Press. “Well, this month at least we........

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