How Your Raise Finally Beat Rent Growth in Small Cities

In Episode 51 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into a surprising shift: wage growth is now outpacing rent increases in smaller metros for the first time since 2020. Using fresh May 2026 data—average hourly earnings hitting $37.50 and CPI rent still climbing 4.2% annually—they explain why the gap is closing in places like Boise and Knoxville, while big coastal cities still lag. They look at how remote work, new apartment supply, and changing migration patterns are rewiring the math on affordability. It's a concrete, data-driven look at who's catching a break and who's still waiting. #Wages #Rent #Inflation #CostOfLiving #RemoteWork #SmallCities #Housing #CPI #AverageHourlyEarnings #Boise #Knoxville #Affordability #LaborMarket #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #WagesAndPrices #RealWageGrowth Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo