If house prices are as bad as HN indicates I can understand how that income could put a person if not in the "working poor" then into the lower middle class.
know that competition is tight enough that if the apartments are decent, they will be rented on the spot during the showings, and often for much more than the asking price. An acquaintance was looking for months and finally got an apartment because he and his roommate offered $250/mo over asking.
