Only the top 17% of earners in New York City can afford a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan

If you have your eyes set on a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, you're going to need a hefty salary to actualize that aspiration.

Most landlords require you to earn at least 40 times the monthly rent just to be a contender for their apartment - and with Manhattan's median monthly asking rent of $3,271, that means you need to make about $130,800, DNAinfo reports.

That's a lot - even for Manhattan, a playground for the rich.

In fact, you could crack the top 25% of New York City earners and your application could still get turned down by a landlord.

Business Insider recently looked at the household incomes of the richest people in the New York City metro area and found that the top 25% are making $100,200 a year.

Those making $130,800 - the salary required to rent a one-bedroom in Manhattan - are among the top 17% in New York City, according to The New York Times' interactive tool that lets you see how you stack up against the wealthiest of the wealthy across 344 US metro areas.

Even if you cross the East River and look for a one-bedroom in Brooklyn - where median asking rents are $2,200 - you'd have to earn $88,000 a year, which would put you in the top 30% of New York City residents.

Living on your own without a sky-high salary is still possible - if you have a guarantor, or search around the other boroughs of New York City - but if you're considering Manhattan, you may want to get comfortable with roommates.