Bay Area housing: $127K now needed to afford renting 1-bedroom apartment

Sky-high salaries and limited housing inventory in Silicon Valley are driving up rent prices, redefining low-income thresholds. While the national average salary needed to afford rent is about $63,000, Silicon Valley requires $127,000 for a typical one-bedroom. A household income of $146,100 for a family of four is now considered low income in Santa Clara County. Despite high rents, incomes are rising faster than rental prices, highlighting the region's housing challenges.