Are you a website designer, or developer? I know the lines are blurring quickly on the disparity between those two, but if you’re just doing HTML & CSS, and no programming, then you will most likely be paid less. That’s what I do and I let my prospective clients know that up front. I used to do websites in and around Manhattan, but that was years ago, when most webpages were still static. I billed a little over $20 an hour, but it was a thriving, lucrative company and they would have probably paid more, had I asked for it. The workflow was immense, as they had many high-profie clients, but it was a blast! (Once, I got $15,000 for a site, and I just used some of that money to pay a programmer; they wanted a little news tracker on their front page.)
Now I charge $15; it’s more important that I build up a portfolio, plus, I don’t know all the fancy languages. There is a guide-book somewhere that comes out once a year that has suggested rates for free-lancers; I’ll try to find it. Good luck!