Right now, there is not a single state in the us where a single parent making minimum wage can afford the rent on a two bedroom apartment, that's why. Cost of living has been rising every year while average income remains the same. My daughter is 2 weeks old, my wife has been out of work for about a month now, so we're forced to live on solely my income. I make 14$/hour, nearly twice the minimum wage, and I'm struggling to pay rent on a one bedroom apartment and keep food on the table and bills paid. That should not be the case.