The City in Every State Where Your Paycheck Stretches the Furthest

It’s not unusual, particularly in today’s financial climate, for paychecks to come and quickly go toward paying monthly bills and covering other expenses. You might find yourself wondering if you’re just not living in a city where your paycheck can go the distance. Are there any cities where a paycheck can feasibly stretch anymore? The answer is yes — and even better, there’s one city in every state where money goes far.

To find out which U.S. cities your paycheck can stretch in, GOBankingRates sourced all the U.S. cities with a population of 30,000 or more people. For each city, GOBankingRates found several factors, including their median household income, total population, total households and cost of living indexes, and using a national average expenditure cost, calculated the average cost of living for each expenditure for each city. The total annual taxes paid and total annual expenditure costs were combined with the annual total amount removed from a salary calculated.

In alphabetical order, here’s the city in each U.S. state where your paycheck stretches the furthest.

• Total taxes paid: $33,181
• Annual cost of living: $50,535
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $83,716
• Median income: $118,132
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $34,416

• Total taxes paid: $20,645
• Annual cost of living: $57,431
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $78,076
• Median income: $95,731
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $17,655

• Total taxes paid: $23,143
• Annual cost of living: $48,845
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $71,987
• Median income: $97,133
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $25,146

• Total taxes paid: $17,871
• Annual cost of living: $37,253
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $55,123
• Median income: $74,917
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $19,794

• Total taxes paid: $50,279
• Annual cost of living: $91,353
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $141,632
• Median income: $156,126
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $14,494

• Total taxes paid: $45,167
• Annual cost of living: $74,823
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $119,991
• Median income: $154,509
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $34,518

• Total taxes paid: $35,868
• Annual cost of living: $60,001
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $95,870
• Median income: $124,150
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $28,280

• Total taxes paid: $15,585
• Annual cost of living: $50,394
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $65,979
• Median income: $67,738
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $1,759

• Total taxes paid: $49,750
• Annual cost of living: $103,784
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $153,534
• Median income: $188,544
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $35,010

• Total taxes paid: $36,465
• Annual cost of living: $50,976
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $87,440
• Median income: $125,325
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $37,885

• Total taxes paid: $19,981
• Annual cost of living: $67,363
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $87,344
• Median income: $75,589
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: -$11,755

• Total taxes paid: $24,531
• Annual cost of living: $58,817
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $83,347
• Median income: $93,296
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $9,949

• Total taxes paid: $42,437
• Annual cost of living: $50,213
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $92,650
• Median income: $143,064
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $50,414

• Total taxes paid: $43,246
• Annual cost of living: $64,988
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $108,234
• Median income: $152,788
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $44,554

• Total taxes paid: $31,688
• Annual cost of living: $48,579
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $80,267
• Median income: $111,888
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $31,621

• Total taxes paid: $54,699
• Annual cost of living: $75,315
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $130,014
• Median income: $174,779
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $44,765

• Total taxes paid: $17,588
• Annual cost of living: $43,628
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $61,216
• Median income: $74,530
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $13,314

• Total taxes paid: $29,677
• Annual cost of living: $46,559
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $76,235
• Median income: $111,927
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $35,692

• Total taxes paid: $11,290
• Annual cost of living: $42,668
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $53,958
• Median income: $54,317
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $359

• Total taxes paid: $50,824
• Annual cost of living: $72,482
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $123,306
• Median income: $166,541
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $43,235

• Total taxes paid: $19,394
• Annual cost of living: $47,566
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $66,960
• Median income: $78,307
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $11,347

• Total taxes paid: $31,590
• Annual cost of living: $54,060
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $85,650
• Median income: $115,639
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $29,989

• Total taxes paid: $37,683
• Annual cost of living: $54,435
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $92,118
• Median income: $127,001
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $34,883

• Total taxes paid: $24,134
• Annual cost of living: $45,116
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $69,250
• Median income: $93,762
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $24,512

• Total taxes paid: $43,209
• Annual cost of living: $60,717
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $103,926
• Median income: $147,508
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $43,582

• Total taxes paid: $16,598
• Annual cost of living: $50,875
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $67,473
• Median income: $69,692
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $2,219

• Total taxes paid: $19,756
• Annual cost of living: $46,552
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $66,308
• Median income: $79,839
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $13,531

• Total taxes paid: $17,756
• Annual cost of living: $58,697
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $76,253
• Median income: $85,311
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $9,058

• Total taxes paid: $19,196
• Annual cost of living: $60,453
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $79,649
• Median income: $90,844
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $11,915

• Total taxes paid: $65,803
• Annual cost of living: $104,973
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $170,776
• Median income: $203,235
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $32,459

• Total taxes paid: $17,978
• Annual cost of living: $34,981
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $52,959
• Median income: $77,209
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $24,250

• Total taxes paid: $52,582
• Annual cost of living: $78,249
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $130,831
• Median income: $168,804
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $37,973

• Total taxes paid: $35,973
• Annual cost of living: $63,082
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $99,055
• Median income: $127,755
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $28,700

• Total taxes paid: $22,302
• Annual cost of living: $46,391
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $68,693
• Median income: $96,929
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $28,236

• Total taxes paid: $44,810
• Annual cost of living: $64,944
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $109,754
• Median income: $158,363
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $48,609

• Total taxes paid: $24,928
• Annual cost of living: $48,060
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $72,988
• Median income: $96,389
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $23,401

• Total taxes paid: $29,722
• Annual cost of living: $63,476
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $93,197
• Median income: $98,891
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $5,694

• Total taxes paid: $25,693
• Annual cost of living: $44,646
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $70,339
• Median income: $102,177
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $31,838

• Total taxes paid: $18,971
• Annual cost of living: $50,581
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $69,552
• Median income: $81,009
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $11,458

• Total taxes paid: $21,984
• Annual cost of living: $44,732
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $66,716
• Median income: $84,041
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $17,325

• Total taxes paid: $13,545
• Annual cost of living: $45,809
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $59,353
• Median income: $71,785
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $12,432

• Total taxes paid: $34,522
• Annual cost of living: $57,116
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $91,638
• Median income: $140,429
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $48,791

• Total taxes paid: $73,672
• Annual cost of living: $109,269
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $182,941
• Median income: $250,000
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $67,059

• Total taxes paid: $35,880
• Annual cost of living: $61,947
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $97,827
• Median income: $125,602
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $27,775

• Total taxes paid: $13,999
• Annual cost of living: $67,491
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $81,490
• Median income: $64,931
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: -$16,559

• Total taxes paid: $53,848
• Annual cost of living: $76,387
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $130,235
• Median income: $172,432
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $42,197

• Total taxes paid: $59,666
• Annual cost of living: $133,906
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $193,572
• Median income: $215,047
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $21,475

• Total taxes paid: $12,434
• Annual cost of living: $35,557
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $47,991
• Median income: $58,902
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $10,911

• Total taxes paid: $34,086
• Annual cost of living: $56,697
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $90,783
• Median income: $121,837
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $31,054

• Total taxes paid: $19,069
• Annual cost of living: $48,105
• Total cost (taxes & CoL): $67,174
• Median income: $90,415
• Leftover income after taxes & CoL: $23,241

Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only. In many cases, the closest major city outside of the city/county mentioned in the article was used.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities across the country to find the city in each state where your paycheck goes the furthest. GOBankingRates started by finding [1] all the cities in the United States with a population of 30,000 people or more as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. For each city the [2] median household income, [3] total population and [4] total households were also sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. For each city on the list, the cost of living indexes was sourced for multiple expenditures, including: [5] Grocery cost of living index, [6] Healthcare cost of living index, [7] Utilities cost of living index, [8] Transportation cost of living index and [9] Miscellaneous cost of living index, all sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces. For each cost of living index, the respective [10] national average expenditure cost, sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, was used to calculate the average cost of living for each expenditure for each city. Using the median household income, the federal tax income brackets, state income tax brackets and FICA tax, as sourced from Tax Foundation’s 2023 Tax Brackets, and using in-house calculators, the taxes paid can be calculated. By combining the total annual taxes paid and the total annual expenditure costs, an annual total amount that is removed from a salary can be calculated. The city in each state where your leftover savings is the highest was kept for this study to show the city in every state where your paycheck stretches the furthest. The total taxes paid, total cost of living cost, median household income, and income leftover savings were kept for a final rank. All data was collected and is up to date as of March 8, 2024.